


Pretty's Twinkle Little Stars

by baeconandeggs, kyutebaekyeol (baek_yeollie)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Office, Fluff, M/M, Romance, Secret Relationship, Single Parent Park Chanyeol, sekai as kid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-29
Updated: 2019-05-29
Packaged: 2020-03-29 12:46:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 35,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19020214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baeconandeggs/pseuds/baeconandeggs, https://archiveofourown.org/users/baek_yeollie/pseuds/kyutebaekyeol
Summary: No nanny lasts longer in Park household. After a desperate attempt finding someone to look after his son. He hires a live in male nanny to take care of his bratty sons. It was too late when he realizes that now he has to take care of three kids not just two.





	Pretty's Twinkle Little Stars

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt:** BAE721  
>  **Disclaimer: baeconandeggs/the mods is/are not the author/s of this story. Authors will be credited and tagged after reveals.** The celebrities' names/images are merely borrowed and do not represent who the celebrities are in real life. No offense is intended towards them, their families or friends. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this fictional work. No copyright infringement is intended.  
>   
> 
> **Author's Note:** I am so happy to be able to finish this fic. I really hope the prompter like it. I'm sorry if this story disappoints you. To be honest, life happens and there was so many time I feel like giving up. Thank you for the sweetest beta reader Hani busy bee, who is willing to help even with her busy bee life. for The Bae Mods that were very helpful and so understanding throughout the fest, thank you so much.

 

 

_You're the medicine and the pain, the tattoo inside my brain_

_I'm a sucker for you_

_And you're makin' the typical me break my typical rules_

_It's true, I'm a sucker for you_

_Sucker - Jonas brothers_

  


\---

 

“Morning Dae,”

  


Park Chanyeol greeted his cousin that was currently busy cooking something in the kitchen. Rubbing his tired face with his palms, he settled himself on the kitchen stool as he blankly stared at the pastel-colored flower decoration adorning the dining table. The drowsiness that enveloped him since last night had started to wear off but the throbbing pain inside his head was still perpetually there.  

  


Raising his eyebrows questioningly at his groggy looking cousin, Jongdae sat beside Chanyeol. “What the hell happened? Sehun and Jongin have been crying their hearts out saying that the bad nanny hurt you,” he scowled and placed a plate of sunny side up in front of Chanyeol, not forgetting to draw a smiley face using ketchup on it, being the thoughtful cousin he was.

  


“Thank you,” Chanyeol murmured, smiling weakly. “The kids, they already went to school right? My head hurts so bad,” he groaned, wincing in pain as he rested his cheek on the kitchen island’s hard surface. The warmth emanating from Jongdae’s fingers soothingly carding his messy bed hair made him hum in content.

  


“Yes, I already see to it that they got into the school bus on time, don't worry about them,” Jongdae snickered and patted Chanyeol’s head. “Get up, we need to talk,”  

  


Sighing heavily, Chanyeol lifted up his still pounding head, sitting up straight and tucked his hands under his chin to watch his cousin with a brooding face. “What is it?”  

  


Shrugging, Jongdae wiped his oily mouth with a napkin and threw the used napkin into his empty plate. Wrapping one arm around his taller cousin’s broad shoulders, he tugged him closer into the side-hug and whispered. “Do you remember what happened between you and your new nanny last night?”

  


Chanyeol grimaced, huffing as he patted Jongdae’s back appreciatively. “Thanks to you, nothing happened between me and Nancy last night,” he said. “I thought that my little stars already fell asleep… Wait, they didn't see anything inappropriate right?

  


“What do you mean inappropriate?” Jongdae simpered playfully. He had to bite his quivering bottom lip to prevent his gummy smile from making an appearance when he saw Chanyeol’s serious gaze. “No, they didn't see how desperate Nancy was while trying to undress you,”

  


“Maybe she put something weird in my drink? I don't know, I only remember feeling so sleepy last night,” Chanyeol exclaimed, clenching his teeth in anger. “I told her to leave, I’m glad that you arrived just in time,”

  


“Including Nancy, you have fired eight nannies for the past four months. Nini and Hunnie made three of them cry, and the rest of them fell head over heels for you,”

  


"How do I stop them from liking me?” Chanyeol sighed in utter helplessness. “I hired them to take care of my kids, not me,”

  


“Maybe you should stop being super nice to them,” Jongdae scowled.

 

“I already warned them not to fell in love with me,” Chanyeol snickered. “Though I really can’t blame them. With a face this perfectly sculpted by God,” he grinned, pointing at his face smugly as if to deliver a point before continuing his sentence. “Dae, just look at this 28 years old man handsome face, who in their right minds could resist it, right?”

  


“You are fully awake now aren’t you...you narcissist..piece of shit,” Jongdae chided.

  


Chuckling, Chanyeol ruffled his cousin’s raven locks. “Send my kids to my father’s office after you fetch them from kindergarten later,”

  


“Are you sure Papa Park can handle them at the office? The last time they went there, that poor old man lost them. They were found at the entrance of your father’s departmental store, swimming happily inside the big water fountain.  What a sensational topic the boys became that day,” Jongdae guffawed. Chanyeol’s sons, Jongdae’s most beloved nephews, Sehun and Jongin could become very mischievous sometimes.

  


Rubbing his face with his palms, Chanyeol cracked a fond smile. “Their grandfather wanted to spoil them with gifts again. They are his grandsons anyway, I’m sure he can manage them well,”

  


“Hey, when are you coming to the office by the way? The marketing department needs you. Your father needs you, Chanyeol. LOEY Mall needs you,” Jongdae exclaimed with a huge grin plastered on his face.  

  


“Stop exaggerating, CEO Park has been doing just great without me,” Chanyeol scoffed. Letting out a soft sigh, he massaged his temple. “Plus, I don't have any babysitter to look after my kids now. I just fired one last night, remember?”

  


“Have you ever considered having a boy as a nanny?” Jongdae suggested after a few seconds of being deep in thoughts, smiling. “I can get you one. A very good same age friend of mine is currently on his study break and desperately in need of some extra cash too,”

  


“Huh? A 23 years old male nanny? Does he have any qualification or experience in taking care of kids?” Chanyeol asked while scratching his chin absentmindedly. The little description that his cousin mentioned about this boy nanny certainly piqued his curiosity. Honestly, what type of college boy that was willing to spend his free time by babysitting.

  


Nodding enthusiastically, Jongdae beamed. “During our school days, babysitting was kind of his side job? Right now he’s also helping his mom taking care of his little sisters,”

  


Chanyeol's eyebrows furrowed as he asked. “Little sisters?”

  


“Yup, his mother remarried. He has triplets as his little sisters, extremely cute and adorable trio of 3 years old girls,” Jongdae stated, wiggling his eyebrows at Chanyeol. “Oh! He is training to be a paramedic and have certificates for CPR and first aid treatments too. His mother is a nurse and his stepfather is a doctor, both working at Seoul National Hospital right now,”

  


“Hmm...That’s impressive and quite convincing. If he wouldn't mind living with us, I can give it a try. I’m absolutely desperate now, a beggar can't really choose do they? And I believe you, Dae,”

  


“Great!”

 

\---

 

Park Chanyeol was glad the new nanny could begin working in the upcoming two weeks. Trusting his cousin, he let Jongdae arranged everything and decided to give the boy nanny a week trial before he could let him babysit his kids any further. The boys will be staying with their grandfather in the meantime, thus Chanyeol finally had the opportunity to visit his new office.

  


Placing a big box on top of his work table, Chanyeol’s eyes wandered across his surroundings. “Not a bad start. Nice office, Mr. Park Chanyeol, Head of Marketing Department of LOEY mall,” he smiled appreciatively, rough pads of fingers gently tracing his black and gold nameplate that was perched on the mahogany table. He pulled out a medium sized white picture frame from inside the box he brought and arranged it neatly at the edge of the large desk. His thumb grazing at the photo of his sons and deceased wife, all smiling back at him contentedly.

  


“If you are still alive, you would be so happy that I’m finally working with my father right now, Yu Yan,”  he mumbled. Eloping with Yu Yan and getting married in China at the young age of 20 years old was the best decision he ever made in his life. He never regretted it. Loving Yu Yan, even with the little amount of time given was such a great blessing. Yu Yan died after giving birth to Sehun, their second child. His late wife came from a rich family, his father in law owned a big shipment company and Chanyeol had been helping him for years.

  


Since he left, he never talked to his father, but still kept in touch with his mother. Chanyeol was the only heir to Park Chan Co. Group and undoubtedly he was expected to inherit all of his family’s wealth. He was trained to be the next successor since he was a little boy. But fate had brought him to Yu Yan. They went to the same school abroad and fell in love. Completely blinded by his love for Yu Yan, Chanyeol followed her to China despite all the pleadings of not to go from his parents. He was doing well in China, the thought of coming back to Korea did not cross his mind at all.  

  


The call that he received from his mother last month made him change his mind. She told him that his father was sick and he wanted to see his grandchildren before he died. He abandoned his family just to be with his lover yet his father never said anything hurtful to him. The Park patriarch never yelled nor threatened Chanyeol for being disobedient, he just refused to talk to him. He had let Chanyeol go, quietly. And Chanyeol was too ashamed to run back home, to seek comfort from his parents when his wife died. Yu Yan had always wanted to visit Chanyeol’s parents. Introducing her children to her in-laws was her only wish before she passed away.

  


_“Your father needs you right now, Chanyeol. I already have my eldest son assisting me here. Don’t worry about me. I think Yu Yan would like that too. But you have to promise me something. I want to see my grandchildren too at times. So bring them here during the holidays so I can spoil them too,”_   

  


The first time he reunited with his father after years of going MIA, it was so awkward. The father and son duo couldn't even hug properly. He was glad that his children didn't have any problem accepting their other grandparents despite having never met them previously in their lives. His father had been spoiling them too much, but Chanyeol was not going to complain. Seeing his father’s jovially smiling face when he played with his grandkids put his heart at ease.

  


Chanyeol wanted to learn more about his father’s company so he requested to fill in for the empty spot of the Head of the Marketing Department. He had the experience and relevant qualifications for the job, given his contributions to his father in law’s business during the past years. He even attended the interview and attained the position fair and square. Everyone knew that the CEO had a son but no one ever saw him before. He was dubbed as the CEO’s mysterious son. Working from a different perspective, not immediately ascending to the CEO’s post would be a great way of learning, he thought to himself, as Chanyeol still have a lot to know and understand regarding his father’s empire.

  


But of course, being the CEO’s only heir had its privileges. He was granted a sufficient interim for months, for him and the children to settle down comfortably with their new place first. Finding a capable nanny for taking care of his kids was definitely not an easy task. The clock was ticking, sooner later he had to eventually go to work. Previously, he took care of his children with the help of Yu Yan’s parents but now that they were back in Korea, everything was new and scary for his two sons. Chanyeol noticed the drastic changes in their behaviors. Nowadays, Jongin always threw tantrums and Sehun had rather became too quiet than his normal self sometimes.

 

_“Time will heal everything kids, please hang in there,”_

  


Glancing down at his silver Rolex wristwatch, Chanyeol did some quick stretching whilst yawning widely. It was approaching midnight, no wonder he felt tired as the weariness due to a whole day of organizing his office began engulfing his bones and muscles. Rubbing his tired eyes, he covered his head with his hoodie before shoving his phone inside his sweatpants. He cursed, annoyed when the Gucci flip flop that he wore was making weird squeaking noises as he moved about. Well, at least it was not eerily quiet anymore, he coaxed himself. He whistled as he closed and locked his office door. Knowing too well that there would be not a single soul left in the level of his department by this late hour, he made a beeline toward the restroom.   

  


He was rushing out of the restroom when he accidentally bumped into someone. It seemed like that person was in a hurry too and was apparently not looking at his way properly because the impact made him stumble backward, butt first on the floor.  

  


“Ouch!”

  


“Are you alright?” Chanyeol asked in genuine concern. He sighed in relief when the young boy didn't suffer from any injury due to their prior crash, judging by how fast he bounced back, instantly getting up from the floor. He gasped in shock when the younger male harshly grabbed the front of his sweatshirt and found himself being pulled into the small janitor’s closet beside the restroom. He supposed the cleaning lady was out doing her job because there was no yellow janitorial trolley in sight. The boy hurriedly shut the door and Chanyeol was about to scream when he covered Chanyeol’s mouth his palm, a smooth and milky white palm, Chanyeol noticed.

  


“Shh,”

  


Annoyed from being shushed by someone he didn't know, Chanyeol pulled his face away, grimacing. “Excuse me?” he retorted with furrowed eyebrows.

  


Rolling his eyes, the young boy wiped his palm on his pants and quickly apologized when he accidentally knocked Chanyeol’s chin with his head when he bowed down while doing so. “I need you to stay quiet,” he huffed, demanding.

  


The temperature inside the small closet was hot and the lighting was dim. Chanyeol felt suffocated and attempted to regain control of his breathing. He tried to be a considerate person. There was not enough air to breathe in because he had to share it with some weird, but nevertheless good looking dude. He also couldn't make an exit because the panic looking young boy’s hands were still gripping the fabric of his sweater tightly, presumably refusing to let him go. He peeked at the young boy’s ID that was dangling around his neck.

  


_‘New intern,’_ his eyebrows knitted, mind vaguely recalling the company new staffs intake, about a week ago.

  


“Do you have any idea who I am?” Chanyeol uttered gruffly, grimacing when he feel beads of sweats started trickling down his spine. He tried to push the boy away but groaned when a damp palm was placed on his mouth again. He knew that the given question was stupid, of course the boy wouldn't know him, but the stuffiness inside the janitor’s storage room blocked his ability to think straight. He wanted to get out of there fast.

  


“Shh, be quiet,” The young boy scoffed.

  


Pulling his head back, Chanyeol huffed, scowling hard at the shorter boy. “Do you know who I am?” he repeated, obvious annoyance lacing his raspy voice.

  


Shaking his head in reply, the young boy offhandedly dismissed Chanyeol’s inquiry and planted his ear on the door, listening intently to the giggling voices outside in the hallway. “Shh,”

  


“I’m Park Chanyeol,” Chanyeol grumbled, dumbfounded when he didn't get any reaction of terror in return from the latter.

  


“Okay, Park Chanyeol. Now be quiet,”

  
  


Both of them froze when they suddenly heard someone’s soft giggling outside, in the hallway. Chanyeol’s breath hitched, his already large almond-shaped eyes grew even bigger than saucers when the sound was likely getting nearer to their hiding place, the janitor’s closet. He wanted to laugh when he looked at the young boy’s pale face that looked like he had seen a ghost. The boy was currently panting hard and Chanyeol could see beads of sweat trickling down from his temple.

  


“Oh my God!” The young boy yelped and quickly covered his gaping mouth with his palms.  

  


The soft slap on Chanyeol’s chest made him hiss in pain. Okay, maybe he was exaggerating it, it was not really that painful but instead kind of ticklish for him. “What?” he asked, jaw clenched, feeling irritated for being pushed around like this.

  


The young boy’s graceful looking fingers fumbled rather ungracefully to hold onto the doorknob, glaring up at Chanyeol. “Don't let them in!” he exclaimed. “Do you want them to find us here?”   

  


“Huh?” Chanyeol frowned, but started to panic when the doorknob was beginning to move frantically like someone was impatiently trying to open the door from the outside. The next thing he knew, he was helping the other male to grip on the doorknob tightly.

  


“The janitor locked the closet. There goes my kink of having sex in this closet!”

  


“Don't worry, baby. After the promotion, I will have my own personal office and we’re gonna be able to do whatever we like in there,”

  


Chanyeol couldn't help but cringe at the words he was listening to. His eyes locked with the young boy’s and both of them had to bite their lips in order to suppress themselves from laughing out loud.

  


“Don't make that funny face!” The young boy wheezed out while still trying his best to keep the door shut.

  


“My face is not funny!” Chanyeol retorted in a whisper-scream, yet he couldn't refrain from chuckling when he saw the young boy closely pressing his mouth on the door, stifling his laughter. Both of them were startled when the door was abruptly being pushed hard from the other side, accompanied by low groans and….moans??!

  


The young boy’s nostrils flared. “Are you kidding me? They are making out, out there? On the other side of this door?! The audacity!” Muttering string of curses nonstop underneath his breath, he glowered at Chanyeol. “Stop laughing Park Chanyeol! Do you think this is funny?”

  


Biting his bottom lip, Chanyeol shook his head. “How much longer do we have to stay inside here?” he whispered.

  


The young boy’s cute button nose twitched, eyebrows furrowed as he shrugged. Suddenly behaving like a deer caught in the headlight, he let out a soft gasp. “Listen, Do you hear that?” he asked while placing his ear on the door again. “There’s a sound of phone ringing from the marketing department’s office area. Its nearly midnight though….creepy,”

  


“Are you for real?” Chanyeol’s breath hitched, ear already glued on the door mimicking the other male. “The phone is really ringing,”  

  


Both of them sighed in relief when they heard shuffling noises of footsteps backing away from outside their hiding spot and eventually fading away.  

  


“Well thank you... the ghost of the marketing department,” The young boy chuckled. “Come on, I think it’s safe for us to go outside now,” he smiled and carefully pushed the janitor’s closet door open. He then gently stepped outside of the small, suffocating room when he was confident that the coast was clear.

  


Wiping the beads of sweat on his wet forehead with his arm, Chanyeol followed soon after. The bright lighting from the hallway made him squint.

  


“Alright. This might be a little late, but I’m Byun Baekhyun by the way, a new intern here. Nice to meet you, Pretty,” Baekhyun beamed, stretching out his hand for a handshake.

  


Grabbing Baekhyun’s hand lightly, Chanyeol flushed. Nobody had ever called him pretty before. He could feel his entire face burning but he still had to maintain a poker face. Baekhyun’s confused frown, eyeing him from head to toe, somehow made him nervous.

  


Scratching his chin absentmindedly, Baekhyun offered him a smile again. “So, are you a new intern too? Come inside my department pantry, I’ll get you some drink,”

  


Chanyeol was clueless as to what he should answer with. In the end, he just kept his mouth shut and was glad that the intern didn't prod him any further. _‘Should he just tell him the truth? But it’s complicated,’_

  


“Pretty?”

  


Chanyeol instantly blushed, his face was now scorching and his heart rates sped up. “Huh?”

  


Chuckling, Baekhyun shook his head and patted Chanyeol on the shoulder. “With such an adorable look, how are you going to survive here,” he sighed exaggeratedly in faux sympathy. “You just have to follow me then, Pretty,”

 

\---

 

Chanyeol glanced down at his wristwatch, swallowing his yawn while eyeing his bubbly new companion who was busy preparing instant coffee for both of them in the pantry. It was approaching 1 in the morning but the intern was surprisingly still so chirpy, with a huge smile somewhat permanently plastered on his face, showing no signs of fatigue.

 

“Aren't you tired?” said Chanyeol soon after the intern sat beside him at the pantry table and handed him his share of the caffeinated drink.

  


“A little bit,” Baekhyun answered in all honesty, his mouth gaping wide as he stretched his sore body. “But interns can't be lazy,” he huffed and chugged down his milk coffee in one go as if he’s downing a can of beer.

  
  


Chanyeol stared at Baekhyun’s foam mustache that was forming at both ends of his lips. The intern didn't seem to bother wiping it off and the sight was irritating Chanyeol. Slowly gripping on the wet tissue that he kept inside his pocket, he fished it out and pushed it toward Baekhyun. The cleaning tendency, he couldn't help it, what with being a father of two mischievous sons, he made sure to always be ready and alert with any possibilities that they had in store for him. Wet tissue packs were one of the necessities that he made sure to keep with him all the time, to the point that it had become a habit. His sons were well aware of his quirk and they would tease him by running away if they saw him holding a wet tissue in his hands. Annoyed at the fact that the intern was not responding or even sparing a glance at the tissue pack at all, Chanyeol had to pull one piece out himself from the package and handed it over toward the latter. When Baekhyun’s eyebrows deepened, probably in confusion as he stared back at him, Chanyeol felt breathless. The gaze that was being thrown at him was quite intimidating. _‘Is he offended?’_

  


“Cream mustache,” Chanyeol explained, pointing at his own mouth. He smiled when Baekhyun finally took the wet tissue and wiped the stain before carefully throwing the used tissue into the dustbin placed at the corner of the pantry. He could see Baekhyun’s bare face clearly now.

  


_‘Ah, there is a mole on his upper lip,’_ he thought, licking his lips unconsciously.   

  


“Alright, enough chatting, I have to continue my work,” Baekhyun announced, already getting up to wash his mug at the sink.

  


Sipping the last drop of his own coffee, Chanyeol stood beside Baekhyun, getting ready to clean his mug too. “But it’s already past midnight, did the company pay for the extra working hours?”

  


Shrugging, Baekhyun took Chanyeol’s mug, lathering it with dishwasher foam. “They don't,” he stated. “I’m only a part-timer here. So I only work from 8 AM until 1 PM,”

  
  


“Then, what are you doing here right now?” Chanyeol had to ask, curiosity now piqued.

  


Placing the mugs on the drying rack, Baekhyun shifted his gaze toward Chanyeol. “I have to finish my task for today. I can't really fall asleep if I didn’t because then, my unfinished work is going to haunt me,” he pouted.

  


“What kind of task?”

  


Baekhyun squinted. “Pretty, you ask so many questions!”

  


Chanyeol’s face glowed into a deep shade of red. He quickly turned away to hide his crimson colored face.  

  


“If I told you, would you be willing to help me? Interns should support each other you know. Since the other workers can be mean sometimes,” Baekhyun clicked his tongue while making a gun pose with his hands as he playfully pointed them at Chanyeol, winking.

  


Drops of water that came from Baekhyun’s wet fingers hit the front of Chanyeol’s sweatshirt. Grimacing, Chanyeol nodded like a fool. Yes, he would surely like to spend some time more with Baekhyun.

 

\---

 

“20 sets of handouts, ready for tomorrow’s meeting!” Baekhyun chirped, clapping his hands excitedly. He then bowed at Chanyeol, murmuring a ‘Thank you’ with a brilliant smile marring his face.

  


Chanyeol waved his hands dismissively. He didn't mind helping the latter at all. The children were both at his parents’ house and he’s also not one that could fall asleep easily either. Besides, helping Baekhyun would give him more information about the Marketing Department too.

  


“I’m glad I could finish this before tomorrow. They handed me the finishing set just when I was about to go home,” said the intern with puffed cheeks. “Plus, I had to prepare kimbap for the meeting too!”

  


“Kimbap?”

  


Nodding enthusiastically, Baekhyun grinned. “They are going to spend hours for the meeting, perhaps until lunch time. That’s why they need to eat some light snack such as kimbap first,”

  


“But why must you be the one to do it? They can just order it outside right?”

  


“Tsk, your curiosity can really get you into trouble, Pretty,” Baekhyun grumbled and patted his chest. “I was the one that volunteered to make it. So, the money goes to me,” he beamed proudly as he jumped to sit on the meeting table, swinging his dangling legs.

  


“Are you badly in need of money?”

  


Baekhyun snorted. “I’m saving up for a trip to Japan,”  

  


Chanyeol’s mouth formed an ‘O’ shape as he nodded slowly. He slanted the side of his body on the table and tucked a hand under his chin. “Baekhyun?”

  


Placing the last set of handouts on the meeting table, he tilted his head to look at Chanyeol. “Hmm?”

  


Chanyeol covered his mouth while he yawned, eyes watery as he blinked to clear his blurry view. “Why did you trust me? We just met and barely know each other,”

  


“I’m using you to get my work done,” Baekhyun laughed. “ It’s difficult to make past the security guard at the lobby. This company really take good care of the employees’ safety. You must have your own ID to walk around inside this building. I saw your ID card before you shoved it inside your pocket. The senior workers usually gave interns so many works, I even had to sleep in the office on my second day of work! Therefore seeing you here, don't really surprise me,”

  


So Baekhyun did pay close attention to every detail about him. The intern definitely amazed him with his observation skills. Chanyeol gasped in surprise when Baekhyun playfully pulled up his hoodie to cover his head.

  


Jumping off from the meeting table, Baekhyun grinned. “I think we really should be going, it’s indeed getting late,”

  


They walked out of the department section together. Chanyeol helped Baekhyun to lock the door, making sure all the lights were switched off before they strolled together toward the elevator. “Baekhyun?”

  


“Yes, Pretty?” Baekhyun smiled. “Why are you blushing, you are very pretty you know? Haven't anyone told you that?” he teased, jokingly bumping their shoulders together.

  


Heat washed over Chanyeol’s entire face, enveloping the very tips of his protruding ears until the end of his nape. He was blushing like mad and he was not even a shy person, to begin with. Baekhyun truly possessed the ability to mess up his mind effortlessly. “Will you be at the office tomorrow night?”

  


“I will be here, Pretty. You know where to find me,”

 

\---

 

“Who made this stupid mistake? I want a name,” Chanyeol grumbled furiously as he counted the number of handouts that were stacked on Baekhyun’s work table. He had been helping Baekhyun to redo all the faulty pages for hours, omitting the wrong sheets and replacing them with new ones. Been sitting for hours, his back was achingly sore now. He was curious and would very much like to find out who among the workers that were taking their jobs and responsibilities lightly? These reckless bastards kept repeating dumb blunders with their half-assed works and were ordering the interns to fix them. He had been meeting Baekhyun at the office for three nights straight but all they ever did during the encounters were fixing other people’s shitty works.

  


Baekhyun laughed, Chanyeol’s grumpiness truly amused him. “You sound like a boss now, Pretty,”

  


Rolling his eyes, Chanyeol pursed his lips into a thin line. _‘I am your boss,’_ he mentally screamed. He had yet to reveal anything regarding his position in the company to Baekhyun. It was still not the right time, he thought to himself. Explaining it would also be such a hassle. He didn't want the good relationship that he shared with Baekhyun to be destroyed the moment the latter discovered the truth. He was busy sorting a newly opened stack of A4 papers when one of the thin paper’s edge cut his finger.  

  


“Ouch!” Chanyeol yelped in pain. He sucked the injured finger and scowled menacingly at the paper which he already threw angrily on the table.

  


“Give me your hand,” Baekhyun smiled as he fished out a small bandage from his pocket. Carefully blowing onto Chanyeol’s wounded finger, he covered the minor cut with his Star Wars themed bandage. Patting Chanyeol’s now bandaged finger with his hand, he grinned. “There you go. Stop whining, Pretty,”

  


“I am not,” Chanyeol retorted, cheeks red like tomatoes as he held his arm close to his chest, pouting.

  


Shaking his head lightly, Baekhyun snorted. “Do you know where you will be assigned to after your orientation period end?”

  


Taken aback by the sudden question, Chanyeol choked on his saliva. He was coughing nonstop and Baekhyun had to pat his back soothingly. Still wheezing, he shook his head quickly. His watery eyes caught a glimpse of his future office door that was situated just right in front of Baekhyun’s desk.

  


“You are probably nervous thinking about it huh? I will be happy if you work with me in the marketing department though. I like working with you,” Baekhyun beamed.  

  


\---

  


“Appa! How many times do I have to tell you that we do not need a babysitter!” Six years old Jongin huffed, cheeks puffed as he glared up threateningly at his tall father. He pulled his dazed five years old little brother, Sehun to sit beside him at the kitchen counter. Kissing Sehun’s cheek, Jongin fixed Sehun’s messy bed hair. He gently pushed aside his little brother’s long fringes to get a clearer view of his adorable face. “Wake up, Little Star,”

  


Sehun grinned happily with barely opened eyes when his older brother did that. Scrubbing his eyes with his little fists, he then slammed his red teddy bear on the kitchen island.  “No babysitter! No!” he shouted. “They always hurt Appa!”

  


Chanyeol’s eyebrows furrowed as he sat down with them. “Hurt me?” he asked in confusion while placing two plates of nutritious breakfast in front of his sons.

  


Nodding enthusiastically, Sehun covered his wide opened mouth with his tiny palm, solemnly staring at his father. “We saw her trying to eat your face!” he shouted and shook his big brother’s shoulder. “Like a zombie, right Nini?”

  


“Oh my God,” Chanyeol whispered, his now pale face was resembling a corpse’s. Sehun’s horrified expression broke his heart. “She was not….where did you get that idea?”

  


“I’m glad Dae Uncle helped you that night,” Jongin mumbled and wrapped his arm around Sehun’s body, coaxing his little brother from crying. “Uncle Dae said that nanny Nancy had become a zombie and attacked Appa,”

  


Massaging his temples, Chanyeol flexed his arms and grinned. “But my Stars, can you two see this...nothing bad happened to me. Appa is very strong. I chased that zombie away, she will never come back, alright?” he cooed as he caressed both of his sons’ chubby cheeks across the table. “I have to start working soon my Stars. Your Grandpa really need my help with his company,”

  


He heaved a deep sigh when both of his sons scowled at him in return, pouts marring their adorable faces. Both seemed extremely irritated. Never the one to give up easily, Chanyeol smiled brightly while ruffling his sons’ hairs. “Let’s try again, just one last time, please?”

  


Resting his chin on Jongin’s shoulder, Sehun whined. “But what if this new nanny bite Appa too?”

  


“This new nanny is Uncle Dae’s best friend. We should trust your Uncle’s recommendation right?” Chanyeol said reassuringly.  

 

Scratching his chin, Jongin jotted down something on his notebook and whispered something into Sehun’s ear. “The nanny has to pass our interview first,”

 

Chanyeol tried so hard not to interrupt his kids’ secret conversation. He wanted to pinch their cheeks very bad. The both of them looked terribly cute discussing together with very serious faces. Jongin was writing his own name while Sehun was doodling something on his paper. “Okay, whatever you say, my Stars,”

 

\---

 

Glancing at his apartment wall clock, Chanyeol took a deep breath before exhaling slowly. Jongdae and the boy nanny would be arriving soon. The waiting made him anxious. He sincerely wanted the nanny candidate to pass his children’s interview so they would accept him. They definitely had to, given Chanyeol didn't have many other options or else he had to postpone starting his job again. Which he absolutely didn’t want to, because through his new friend’s information, intern Baekhyun, he knew that the marketing department was in dire needs for a leader. They were stubborn, had no appropriate sense of direction and everybody acted like a boss, listening to no one’s orders and refused to cooperate.

  


His heart raced wildly at the sound of his apartment doorbell ringing. After making sure that his kids were sitting comfortably on the couch, playing with their toys, he hurriedly stepped toward the door. His entire 6ft frame froze at the threshold when a very familiar face that was standing behind Jongdae greeted his view.

  


“B-Baekhyun?”

  


“Pretty?”

  


Jongdae stepped from the center spot separating Chanyeol and Baekhyun and moved to the side, eyebrows furrowing. “You guys already know each other?” he asked. His quizzical frown morphed into a chiseled grin when he took in Chanyeol’s flustered face.

 

Chanyeol could feel his entire face burning at that moment. He was so shocked that he couldn't come up with any word to say. Things really had gotten too complicated now, didn’t they? He felt like he was caught red-handed from doing something bad. He heard the sound of sirens blaring inside his mind. His heart was thumping so loudly that he was positive everyone could hear it.  

  


“Okay, Pretty. Enough ogling, let us inside now,” Jongdae snickered and pushed Chanyeol away as he stepped inside the apartment, tugging Baekhyun along.

  


“Pretty, you live here?” Baekhyun gasped and punched Chanyeol’s shoulder playfully. “What a small world,”

  


“Wait here, I need to talk to Jongdae,” Chanyeol frowned and grabbed his cousin’s arm. He dragged him toward the kitchen, a little further away from Baekhyun to have an urgent private talk.  

  


“Dae, is he really the nanny?” he whispered.

  


“No, that is my Uber driver,” Jongdae snorted, rolling his eyes. “Of course Baekhyun is the nanny, you idiot. But wait, how did you guys know each other?”

  


“Appa! There is a pretty man standing behind our couch!” shouted Jongin from across the living room.

  


Chanyeol and Jongdae flinched, Jongin’s loud voice startled them. Spouting curses beneath his breath, Chanyeol walked away, leaving Jongdae behind. “We’ll talk about this later,”

  


\---

 

Chanyeol and Jongdae meekly sat on the couch. Baekhyun already agreed to be interviewed by his kids earlier. They were instructed to watch Jongin and Sehun’s interviewing session by none other than the two boss babies themselves. The kids sat on the carpeted floor with crossed legs beside the coffee table and Baekhyun followed soon after, sitting opposite to them.  

  


Clearing his throat, Jongin placed his small notebook on the coffee table and adjusted his Appa’s huge, black sunglasses that kept slipping down the slope of his nose. “Alright pretty man, had Jongdae Uncle told you about our interview?” he asked, nose scrunched as he bumped his shoulder with his little brother that was currently busy drawing something on his doodling book with utmost concentration.

  


“Make sure you draw his face carefully,” Jongin reminded sternly, fingers tapping at Sehun’s blank page. “We need to remember his face before he turned into a zombie,”

  


“A zombie?” Baekhyun gasped in mock terror, playing along, his droopy eyes wandered all over the apartment. “I can assure you, there were no zombies following me to your lair, Sires. Me and your Jongdae Uncle are clear from any zombie infections,”

  


“Really..really?” Sehun squinted, still a little skeptical. “We have to be extra careful. We don't want zombie trying to eat Appa again!” he whined, shaking his head dismissively to chase away the traumatizing memory.

 

Baekhyun placed his hands on the coffee table and showed the underside of his arms before earnestly speaking in the most convincing tone, “See, my veins are not black,”  

 

Pursing his lips, Sehun slanted forward, eyes glued onto Baekhyun’s arms. He giggled silently when he saw his older brother struggled to maintain their Appa’s black sunglasses properly glued on his small face. His brother tried so hard to look intimidating but their Appa’s RayBan ruined it big time.  He patted Jongin’s back and pointed at Baekhyun’s exposed hand. “Take off your black glasses and look carefully!” he chirped. “The new nanny is not infected, his hand is clean,”

  


Since his left arm was occupied with hugging his teddy bear, Sehun used his free right hand to draw their new nanny’s face. Nodding approvingly, Jongin cleared his throat and side-eyeing his little brother that was concentratedly doodling something on his book.

  


“You have small moles on your face and a big mole your thumb,” Sehun keenly stated while glancing alternately between Baekhyun’s face and his drawing. Scooting closer to Jongin, he whispered, almost whining.  “Hyung, I don't know how to draw his hand,”

  


“Let me draw it for you,” Jongin smiled and took Sehun’s crayon. His little brother beamed and hugged his teddy bear tighter as he happily looked at Jongin’s drawing. “New nanny, what is your name?” he asked.

  


Adoringly staring at Sehun, Baekhyun tucked Sehun’s hair behind his ear. He then caressed the exposed ear gently. “My name is Byun Baekhyun, nice to meet you. What is your name, Angel?”

  


Scrunching his nose, Sehun puffed his cheeks and burrowed his face on his teddy bear’s head. With flushed cheeks, he rubbed his face gently on his favorite plushie before lifting his head to gaze up to Baekhyun. “I’m Appa’s little star...Sehun,”

  


He peeked at his big brother that was still busy drawing. The tip of Jongin’s tongue jutted out from his lips, blatantly ignoring Mr. Pretty’s question. He felt bad and decided to answer on behalf of his brother. “This is my big brother, Appa’s big star...Jongin,”

  


“Oh, little star Sehun and big star Jongin. I hope I pass the test. Please give me a chance,” Baekhyun grinned while clasping his hands together pleadingly. The opened stitches on Sehun’s teddy bear leg caught his attention. “I can help you fix that,” he offered while pointing at the torn part.

  


Hugging the bear plushie closer to his chest, Sehun shook his head vehemently. “No! Teddy hates needles,” he whined, scowling at Baekhyun.

  


“How about this, I can give Teddy my precious Star Wars bandage to cover his injured leg,” Baekhyun fished out said bandage and waved it in front of the kids.

  


Chewing his bottom lip, Sehun pushed Jongin’s drawing away until it fell on the floor and carefully placed his beloved Teddy on the table.“Alright, you can do that,”

  


Jongin pouted, Sehun’s action clearly upset him. Puffing his cheeks, he threw his crayon on the floor. Crossing his arms over his chest, he huffed in annoyance but didn’t say anything to Sehun.

  


After sticking his Star Wars bandages on Sehun’s teddy bear, Baekhyun gave it back to Sehun and shifted his gaze to the currently sulking Jongin. “Can I look at your finished drawing Jongin?” he asked.  

  


Jongin picked up the drawing book from the floor and handed it over to Baekhyun. He earnestly watched Baekhyun’s every moves like a hawk eyeing its prey. A tiny smile graced his naturally pouty lips when the new nanny praised him.

  


“Your drawing is very beautiful Jongin,” Baekhyun smiled and patted Jongin’s head. “you drew my moles at the right places, one on my upper lip and the big one on my left thumb,”

  


Glancing at his Appa that was sitting silently on the couch, he blushed. His cheeks were turning red as cherries when he grabbed back the drawing book from Baekhyun’s hand. “You can be our nanny,” he announced and got up from the floor.

  


Sehun giggled when he saw Jongin ran inside his room, leaving him alone with the new nanny. “Big star loves compliments but the praises make him blush. He can't look at your face so he ran away!”

  


\---

  


“So congratulations, you are hired!” Chanyeol smiled as he ushered Baekhyun toward his apartment’s door. Baekhyun informed that he had to leave right after the interview session ended. The kids came running from their room when it was eventually the time to say goodbye. Chanyeol struggled to maintain his standing position when Jongin and Sehun hugged his bowed legs tightly. Both of them tried to peek at Baekhyun from his back.    

  


“Little star says he likes you,” Jongin flushed. He groaned when Sehun poked his cheek. “I...I like you too, come and play with us tomorrow,”  

  


“I like both of you too. See you tomorrow, good night,” Baekhyun beamed as he bid them goodbye.

  


\---

 

“Can you stop staring at me?” Chanyeol retorted as he took a sip from the can of beer clutched in his hand. The coldness of the beer made his brain freeze for a second. Closing his eyes, he cursed and slumped his back on the couch, slouching grumpily. A soft sigh escaped his lips when his eyes locked with Jongdae’s when he opened them again.

  


“What the hell happened between you and Baekhyun?” Jongdae snickered.

  


“I meet him when I went to my new office, to put my things,” Chanyeol started. The grip on his beer can tighten when he saw the drastic changes on Jongdae’s face. Jongdae was very protective toward everyone close to him and right now his cousin looked eminently upset.  

  


“The office? Shit, I forgot Baekhyun works there too!” Jongdae exclaimed and pointed at Chanyeol. “Does he know who you really are?”

  


“I.., no, he doesn't,” replied Chanyeol, shaking his head lightly.

  


Scoffing angrily, Jongdae placed his drink on the coffee table. “So you lied to him,”

  


Groaning in frustration, Chanyeol pushed his hair back as he puffed out hot air from his mouth. “I didn't say a thing. He was the one that assumed I was an intern,”

  


“And you didn't bother to correct him?” Jongdae snickered. “Do you like him?”

  


Chanyeol gulped nervously. Jongdae’s sharp eyes that were boring holes at him made him anxious. “I want to know about the marketing department through his eyes. That was my intention at the beginning,” he paused mid sentences when Jongdae shifted on his seat to lean closer toward him.

  


“But now?” Jongdae squinted, goading him to continue.

  


“Now, I want to know more about him, more than my future department,” Chanyeol admitted with a blushing face.

  


“Chanyeol-ah, lying is not going to get you anywhere, you will hurt him deeply. I don't think he will refuse to have anything to do with you even if he knew who you are,” Jongdae smacked his lips before letting out an exaggerated sigh.

  


Tilting his head to the side, Chanyeol’s eyebrow knitted. Jongdae’s statement got him confused. “Why would you say that?”

  


“You know that it’s super hard to land a job in your father’s company right? His job description was special. Why? Because your father created the job just for him,” Jongdae stated. “Who in the world could easily get the privilege to work only half day at the office? Only Byun Baekhyun I’m telling you,”

  


“My father? The CEO?” Chanyeol gasped, his eyes widened, perplexed by the sudden revelation.

  
  


“You father adores him a lot,” Jongdae smiled. “You now that his mother and stepfather were both working at the Seoul Hospital right? During his semester break, he always joined volunteering works organized by the hospital. That’s how your father and Baekhyun first met at the hospital. Baekhyun was a good company when your father needed to be put under the hospital’s intensive care unit for an entire week,”

  


“At that time, Baekhyun didn't know that he was helping a very important person. He enjoyed talking to your father, given his chatty nature. He stayed with your father and waited for his surgery to end. Your father requested to see him after the surgery,”

  


Chanyeol’s gaze fell on the beer can in his hand as he hummed. “I don't know about that,” he mumbled. He felt bad for not being there when his father required him the most. His father’s illness was the reason he decided to finally come home. He understood why his father liked talking to Baekhyun. There was indeed something intriguing in the boy’s personality. The way he genuinely laughed, his charming smiles, Baekhyun’s gentle voice that made any conversation with him became pleasantly soothing. The intern boy looked boyish on the outside, but the bursting confidence he exuded, for Chanyeol, that was incredibly sexy. They could talk about almost anything for hours. He silently agreed that Byun Baekhyun’s therapeutic way of talking was addictive.

  


“Some people can be mean, despite not by actions, but their words could be hurtful. Baekhyun received so many judging stares and whispers at the office,” Jongdae murmured.

  


“They know about Baekhyun’s good relationship with my father?” Chanyeol asked as he chugged down the last remnant of his beer. Crushing the empty can, he began cleaning the mess on the table, gathering their cans and shoving them inside a plastic bag.

  


Jongdae yawned while stretching out his body. “They knew about it when your father kept mentioning his name and bringing him out to eat together during lunchtime,”

  


Massaging his temple, Chanyeol closed his eyes and chuckled. “The CEO of LOEY mall adored Byun Baekhyun huh,”

  


“You know, based on my skillful observations, you and your father were really fond of him. You guys shared this same look, a particular whipped look painting all over your faces every time his name was being mentioned,” Jongdae teased. “But the way you stared at him was a little bit different from your father though. I can see lust from you,”

  


Blushing profusely, Chanyeol groaned. “I..I’m not lusting over him!”

  


“That’s good because you are certainly not his type. So stop this little crush of yours before it’s too late. You’ll only get hurt Chanyeol-ah,” said Jongdae.   

  


Chanyeol scowled, he felt offended. “I am not his type? But I am everyone’s type,” he snickered. He always knew that he was a very good looking man and quite irresistible. Rejection was not something that he was familiar with.

  


Scoffing out loud as a sign of protest, Jongdae shrugged. “Not to Baekhyun, he’s not ‘everyone’. Do you know what they called him at the office? The heartbreaker,”

  


Chanyeol was about to get up but Jongdae’s remark stopped him. Sitting back on the couch, he asked. “A heartbreaker?”

  


“Of course he easily charms everyone but sometimes he can be too friendly. He keeps making people fall in love with him unintentionally, but sorry. For now, all I can say is that Byun Baekhyun is not looking for love, dear cousin,” Jongdae sighed and patted Chanyeol’s cheeks.

  


Pushing Jongdae’s hand away from pinching his cheeks, Chanyeol grumbled. “I don't have a crush on him,”

  


“Oh really? Because I am certain that Byun Baekhyun is exactly your type?” Jongdae smiled when he got a curt ‘No’ from Chanyeol. “That’s good, lover boy. I don't want any of you to get hurt. Now that I thought of it. Both of you have the same attitude. Charming, friendly but always run away when it comes to love,” Jongdae frowned.

  


“You guys better stay away from each other,” he added as an afterthought.

  


\---

  


“Pretty?”

  


Chanyeol’s cheeks turned as red as Jongin’s Elmo doll when Baekhyun called him with that nickname. He tried so hard to not be bothered about it, but his face betrayed him and gave it away. He was so flustered that his mind went blank for a moment. A light punch on his shoulder snapped him out of his frozen state. “Y..yeah?”

 

Baekhyun grinned and caressed Chanyeol’s cheek. “Don't worry about your kids. I promised to take good care of them while you are working,” he winked.

 

_‘That deadly wink,’_

  


Chanyeol’s heart skip a beat when their eyes met. _‘You shouldn't do this...this cute winking too often,’_

  
  


“Thank you for helping me tonight. I don't think I can finish this early without your help. You are my lifesaver!” Baekhyun chirped happily.

  


Pursing his lips, Chanyeol nodded, not replying. He felt really bad for lying. Guilt eating up his insides as their good relationship started like this, with a lie.

  


“Hey, you are not being like your usual self tonight. Why did you become too quiet,” Baekhyun mumbled. “You always complained about the incompetence of my co-workers, and wanting to fire them all,” he chuckled while trying to search for Chanyeol’s teardrop eyes that were hidden under his friend’s long fringe. Chanyeol’s silence got him suspicious.

  


Tearing his gazed away from Baekhyun’s good looking face, Chanyeol cast his eyes down to his lap. Tonight marked the fourth night he spent with Baekhyun at the marketing department office, but he still couldn't come up with anything to say about his position in the company.

  


“I’m starting next week,” he rasped, starting slowly. His heart was pounding crazily. He could feel his lips parting, trying to talk more, yet nothing came out, he couldn't bring himself do it.

  


“That’s good. But do you still don't know where the management is going to place you?” Baekhyun asked while tidying up his work table.

  


_‘The deadly question,’_

  


Everything about Byun Baekhyun was life-threatening to him right now, even his infamous rectangular shaped smiles. He made Chanyeol felt breathless. He didn't know how long could he handle the tension before he bursts. The future Head of Marketing Department tried to not to look at the intern’s face as he swallowed his guilt and answered.

  


“No,” he curtly said. His heart twinged, it was painful. Lying to Baekhyun who genuinely trusted him, hurt him too.

 

\---

 

Groggily walking toward his kitchen to get his early morning glass of water, Chanyeol froze in his steps when he saw someone sitting in the dining area. Through his blurry vision and barely awoke mind, he could make out that person drinking a glass of water while playing with his phone. His eyebrows knitted together deeply, confused with the image he was seeing. He couldn’t recall hiring a chef since he always preferred cooking by himself for his kids.

  


“Morning, Pretty!” Baekhyun chirped.

  


_‘That deadly smile is surely gonna be the death of me one day,’_

  


Chanyeol’s breath hitched. His face slowly burned up, heart beginning to jackhammer inside his ribcage. He mentally cursed himself, Baekhyun calling him ‘Pretty’ never failed to make his body unconsciously react weirdly like this. He got flustered way too quickly. Chanyeol couldn't help but cringe at this stupid behavior of his.

  


“B-Baekhyun,” he rasped. How could he forget about his new friend, the kids’ newly appointed nanny? Baekhyun was going to live with them. He arrived with his luggage last night, after finishing his job at the office. They had come to the agreement that Baekhyun should start his trial period a few days earlier before Chanyeol began officially working next week.

  


The cold morning breeze seeping in through the crack of his ajar apartment window hit his body, making him shiver. Only then he realized that he was topless, dressed in only his favorite shorts. Quickly covering his exposed nipples by crossing his arms over his chest, he blushed. “M-morning,”

  


“Come here and sit with me,” Baekhyun excitedly said as he patted the empty chair next to him.

  


Clearing his throat, Chanyeol fixed his messy bed hair, hoping that he would look decent enough in front of Baekhyun albeit it was probably a tad bit too late for that already. He obliged to Baekhyun’s request to sit together with him at the 4-seaters dining table. Rubbing his face with his palms, he yawned. A warm cup of coffee, followed by a blinding smile from Baekhyun made him chuckle.

  


“Are you always this energetic in the morning?” he asked, Baekhyun’s chirpy personality amused him.

  
  


“I usually talk more when I’m hungry,” Baekhyun laughed. “I’m sorry for calling you Pretty. You are my boss now,” he smiled sheepishly, mindlessly scratching his nape.

  


Chanyeol blew his hot coffee for a few seconds before drinking it slowly. Through his fluttering eyelashes, he peeked at Baekhyun’s grinning face and shrugged. “We are friends, I’m OK with being called ‘Pretty’ but my kids will be giggling if they heard it,”

  


Nodding slowly, Baekhyun whispered, “Alright, Pretty. It’ll be just between the two of us,” followed by a playful wink.

  


\---

  
  


“Pretty,”

  


Chanyeol’s smile grew wider. Heat instantly spread all over his body making butterflies fluttering crazily inside his stomach. Baekhyun’s voice from over the phone made him feel warm and contented.

  


“How are the kids? Are they giving you a hard time?” he asked as he pushed his empty cart further into the hypermarket. Jongin’s and Sehun’s loud voices screaming for him in the background made him laugh.

  


“They are quite...a handful, Pretty,” Baekhyun chuckled. “But we managed to get along well, don't worry,” he added.

  
  


“I’m actually kinda hoping to hear compliments about the spaghetti that I cooked for lunch though,” Chanyeol demanded. He was blushing profusely right now. With his phone pressed tightly onto his ear, his other free hand busy filling his empty cart with essential groceries.

  
  


He saw Jongdae coming toward him while carrying bags of chips in his arms, smiling brightly. Between his mouth was a toothpick that he probably got from the food testing zone. Chanyeol and the Head of HR Department were going to grab lunch together. After fetching his cousin from his office, Chanyeol decided to drag Jongdae along with him for a quick grocery shopping.

  


“Calling Baekhyun and asking about your kids huh. How domestically cringy,” Jongdae teased as he handed a small tester cup of coffee that he grabbed beside them to Chanyeol.

  


Chanyeol was in the middle of sipping the coffee when Baekhyun replied.

  


“The kids love it,”

  


Chewing on his bottom lip, Chanyeol frowned. That was not the answer that he wanted to hear. “How about you?” he stubbornly asked even though the question made his face turn scarlet. Puffing his cheeks, he continued to drink his coffee slowly.

  


“I like it too. It’s soooooooooo delicious! I swear I’ve never tasted anything tastier than Pretty’s homemade spaghetti in my entire life!”

  


Smiling smugly, Chanyeol nodded, fully satisfied with the reply. Baekhyun’s praises boosted up his already overflowing confidence, making him feel even more proud of himself. “That surely sounds exaggerated,” he snorted, wanting to stay humble about it.

  


“Dae told me you like praises,” Baekhyun started. “And…,” he trailed off.  

  


A long pause from Baekhyun got Chanyeol’s heartbeat quickening. “And?” he frowned, side-eyeing Jongdae that was beaming slyly at him. He couldn't swallow his drink properly.

  


“Praises make you cum,” Baekhyun blurted nonchalantly.

  


Chanyeol choked on his coffee, Baekhyun’s words got him wheezing for air. His face was burning while hearing Baekhyun’s fits of laughter blaring from over the phone. How could he forget that Byun Baekhyun loved to tease him, making him blush was like one of Baekhyun’s life’s mission. Jongdae teaming up with Baekhyun could inevitably turn his world upside down.  

  


“I’m going to kill your best friend,”

  


\---

  


“Appa!”

 

Jongin and Sehun shouted as they excitedly marched toward Chanyeol who was entering the apartment while carrying a huge biodegradable grocery bag that was slung over his broad shoulder.

 

“Hello, my stars!” Chanyeol smiled and pecked both of his sons’ heads. His eyes wandered all across the apartment area, searching for Baekhyun’s whereabouts. “Where is your nanny?”

  


“Let me carry this for you,” Jongin offered. He huffed when his father moved the sling bag to his shoulder and grinned proudly when his father patted his head. “I got this,” he groaned as he staggered toward the kitchen island. The three of them walked further into the center of the house.

  
  


“Nanny Bee is cleaning the tiles over there!” Sehun chirped while his small finger pointed at the small space right beside the bathroom.

  
  


“Nanny Bee….is cleaning?” Chanyeol’s eyebrows turned into a quizzical frown.

  
  


Nodding enthusiastically, Sehun beamed and showed his teddy bear at his father. “Nanny Bee help us with our artwork, we played with watercolor today!”  

  
  


Chanyeol gasped when he saw the current state of Sehun’s favorite teddy bear. There were splotches of colors decorating the bear’s synthetic fur. He glanced down at the floor and just as he expected, the view of his colorful apartment tiles knocked the air out of his lungs. Sehun was dragging his teddy bear all over the house, leaving trails of watercolors on the floor. He silently thanked the heavens that his Little Star only walked on the tiled area, not the carpeted section. He glanced at Baekhyun that was crouching on the floor, scrubbing the colors off while still in his work attire.

  


_‘This big mess can't possibly be done by Sehun alone,’_ he thought, side-eyeing Jongin who was busy shoving his favorite yogurt drinks into the refrigerator while joyfully singing to his favorite song.

 

 _‘The second culprit,’_ Chanyeol smirked.

  


Poking one of his yogurt drinks with a straw, Jongin paused mid-action when his eyes locked with his Appa’s squinted ones. “Thank you for this delicious drink Appa,” he bowed politely, innocently blinking at his father. Sighing deeply, Chanyeol ruffled his son’s hair.

  


“You guys have fun with your nanny but why is he doing all the cleaning alone? I told you before right, you two can play but you have to be responsible for the tidying up after that,” he said sternly.

  


Sehun sniffled while hugging his bear. “I want to help Nanny Bee, Appa! But the water bucket is too heavy for me. I can’t lift it up. But Big Star is stronger, so he helped Nanny Bee by carrying it toward him from the bathroom,” he whined.

  


“So both of you help,” Chanyeol smiled and caressed Sehun’s cheeks. “That’s good,”

  


“The bucket is reaaaaalllly heavy, Appa. All the work made me thirsty,” Jongin pouted after making wild hand gestures. “Nanny Bee said that we helped enough,”

  


“Pretty, welcome back!” Baekhyun huffed as he stood up from the floor and rushed toward Chanyeol and the kids.

  


“Nanny Bee calls Appa ‘Pretty’,” Sehun grinned enthusiastically. His eyes were twinkling brightly while looking between his Appa and his new nanny.

  
  


Wiping the beads of sweat on his forehead with the sleeves of his office shirt, Baekhyun groaned, shaking his head lightly. He hid his fully occupied hands behind his back and bowed slightly. “I’m sorry. I mean, welcome home Mr. Park,”

  


“You can keep calling our Appa ‘Pretty’,” Jongin suggested with a serious face. “Appa loves praises,” he added earnestly.

  


“Y-You can take a rest Baekhyun, I’m gonna prepare dinner,” Chanyeol tried to maintain his poker face in front of his kids despite the big grin threatening to burst out on his face. Baekhyun calling him ‘Pretty’ always made him giddy. He knew that he couldn't shield his red cheeks.

  
  


“Can I talk to you for a second, Mr. Park?” Baekhyun scowled. He asked the kids to wait for him in their bedroom and ushered Chanyeol to sit on the stool at the kitchen island.

  
  


“What is it Baekhyun?” Chanyeol asked. Judging from how hard Baekhyun’s eyebrows were furrowing, he knew that there was something bothering him.

  
  


Inhaling and exhaling air from his chest, Baekhyun smiled weakly. “You are my boss now, I’m sorry if I were being rude to you. I just can’t help it, being with you...it’s very comfortable to the point that I’ve forgotten my place here, as your kids’ nanny,”

  
  


Chanyeol smiled and lightly punched Baekhyun’s arm. “Stop all this seriousness, please,” he cringed. “We started off as friends. I’m comfortable with you too. So please just consider me as your friend,”

  


“Really?” Baekhyun squinted. “Did all of your previous nannies have this privilege? I mean resting time while you cook for them?” He scoffed. “I would like you to treat me like them,”

  


Chanyeol’s eyes crinkled, smiling wide. “Yes. When I get back home. I’m in charge of cooking in this house. I prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Usually, when I come back home in the evening, I let the nanny rest. I will look after my kids while I’m making dinner. You are not special, Byun Baekhyun,”  he said smugly.

  


Placing his palm on his chest, Baekhyun’s shoulders slumped as he pouted. “I’m glad that I’m not that special,” he huffed. Tucking his hands under his chin, Baekhyun snorted. “You are such a good boss. I’m sure all of your nannies like you,”  

  


Scoffing out loud, Chanyeol laughed. “Oh they do like me, a lot,” he grimaced. Just thinking about his children’s past nannies made him feel suffocated.  

  


Baekhyun grinned and patted Chanyeol’s shoulder. “Alright, Mr. Park. I’ll be taking a break now as I need to change my work attire. Give me 30 minutes and I’ll be right back,” he said as he jumped off from his seat and rushed toward his bedroom.

  


Chanyeol stared at Baekhyun’s retreating figure and his eyes cast down to his nanny’s colorful feet. Chuckling to himself, he shook his head, Baekhyun always amused him. The nanny did not realize that he left his colorful footprints all over the place. Chanyeol sighed, already getting up to get the mop and wiped the color stains off from the floor.

  


\---

  


Chanyeol whistled happily as he walked out of his bedroom. Usually, after dinner, the kids would be playing inside their room and he would use the free time he had before tucking them to sleep to watch the TV. However, the soft giggling noises from his children lead him toward the dining area. He saw Baekhyun sitting with his boys, chatting merrily with a stack of books on the table. The sound of his slippers diverted their attention toward him.

  


“Pretty!”

  


Chanyeol laughed when Baekhyun and the kids called him ‘Pretty’ at the same time. “I’m coming,” he sat with them at the table and smiled when he saw Baekhyun mouthed a ‘Sorry’, probably because of calling him ‘Pretty’ in front of his kids, again.

  


“Now her parents become pigs!” Sehun whined. “What will Chihiro do now Nanny Bee? Can she save them?”

  


“Chihiro should return across the river before the sunset. Now Chihiro and her parents are trapped inside the spirited world,” Jongin murmured while scratching his chin.

  


“You want to know more about Chihiro’s adventure in spirited away?” Baekhyun squinted. Two simultaneous enthusiastic nods from the kids made him laugh. “I’ll continue tomorrow. That if, you two were well behaved, of course,” he smiled and reached out his hand toward Sehun to caress his puffy red cheek.

  


“Appa, do you know spirited away?” Sehun yawned and rubbed his watery eyes on his teddy bear.

  


“Of course I do, Little Star, ” Chanyeol smiled.

  


Jongin’s eyes brightened up instantly. “Really? Then you also know the rest of the story?”

  


Nodding slowly, Chanyeol closed his son’s wide opened mouth. Big Star really loved listening to stories. “I can tell you just a little bit more, only if your nanny approves it, it’s his story time anyway,” he shrugged.

  


Baekhyun frowned while letting out a soft hum. “Okay, you can tell them up until Chihiro meets Kamaji at the boiler room. I want to tell them about the cute Susuwatari myself,”

  


\---

  


“Are the kids already asleep?” Baekhyun whispered while glancing at the kids’ bedroom door. He patted the empty chair beside him and waited for Chanyeol to come closer.

  
  


Chanyeol swallowed his saliva thickly. Baekhyun had his large reading glasses on and already changed into his sleeping attire. He only wore a baggy sweatshirt and short pants to sleep, looking extremely adorable. Chanyeol could see glimpses of his milky thighs when the nanny chose to sit crossed legs on the chair. Pretending that Baekhyun didn't do anything to quicken his pulse, he followed his request to sit with him at the table.

  
  


“They are asleep. Not bad on your first day, Nanny Bee,” He praised. “I’m such a bad storyteller. They were whining because I couldn't make sound effects for the story. How am I supposed to know the sound of Kamaji’s boiler room?” he snickered, side-eyeing Baekhyun.

  
  


Baekhyun laughed while slapping Chanyeol’s arm. “Just do whatever sound that you feel like, they would never know you are lying anyhow,” he said and continued to read the book in his hand.

  
  


Upset that Baekhyun ignored him to instead focus on his book, Chanyeol pouted and started scanning through the medical books on the table. He didn't feel like sleeping yet and he craved some attention from the new nanny. “Why paramedic?” he asked.

  


Yawning widely, Baekhyun pulled out his reading glasses and stared at Chanyeol’s face. Pushing his book away, he tucked his hands underneath his chin and he smiled weakly. “Years back, when I was young, I was not a very good son to my mother,” he started.

  


“You had your first love right? The one that you gave your heart, your soul, your everything. Your first pure love,” he smiled when he got a nod from Chanyeol.

  
  


“What happened?” Chanyeol asked as he propped his back on his chair, making himself comfortable.

  


“I was so stupidly in love. I let him played my heart. I clung onto him and blindly accepted the fact that he would still choose his wife over me in the end and I was only going to stay as his hidden lover,”

  


“You are in love,” Chanyeol murmured, totally understand that young people tended to make rash decisions when they were madly in love.

  


Rubbing his face with his palms, Baekhyun dropped his hands onto his lap and started playing with his fingers. “He left me for good, without words. He was done playing with me, Baekhyun snickered.

  


“I felt that my world had ended,” he scoffed. “I mourned for my stupid heartbreak for months. I ignored my mother. She had been trying to conceive for years after she remarried. I didn't bother to congratulate her when she told me she was pregnant and I would become a big brother,” he said with a shaky voice as he slumped his face on his book, looking away from Chanyeol.  

  


Chanyeol kept his mouth shut, absentmindedly caressing Baekhyun’s peach scented hair. The nanny’s fluffy locks were as soft as silks gliding underneath his palm.  

  


“My stepfather was working that night. So my mother was left alone at the house. She was one month away from her due date. I avoided reading or picking up my parents’ phone calls or messages when I went out with my friends. Then when I arrived home…,” Baekhyun sniffled and sat up properly again with a sorrowful expression marring his face.

  


Chanyeol’s heart clenched at the way Baekhyun’s hands were shaking. The nanny was holding in his sobs as he stared down at his trembling hands.  

  


“My mother was lying in a pool of blood. She was bleeding badly. She fainted. I only saw red, the horrid smell of blood was too strong that it made me dizzy,” Baekhyun gasped as if the scene was being replayed in front of him. “I didn't know what to do, I kept screaming her name but didn't get any response from her, so I started bawling uncontrollably. I kept praying inside my heart. Oh please God, do not take my mother away yet. It’s been so long since I last heard her call my name,” he wheezed.

  


Chanyeol sighed when he looked at the way how hard it was for Baekhyun to handle his emotion. His body was trembling frantically, droopy eyes and button nose watery and red. The nanny couldn't stop mumbling about blaming himself.

  


“I managed to pull myself together and dialed the ambulance. The paramedic team that was helping my mother amazed me with their awesome skills. They were the best!” He smiled. “From that moment on, I promised to myself that I want to become a better man, someone useful, especially to my mother,”

  
  


Puffing his cheeks, Baekhyun wiped his watery eyes with the back of his palm. “You know, you should just ask me simple questions. Like how do I like my egg cooked in the morning,”

  


“I’m sorry,” Chanyeol chuckled, he was glad that Baekhyun started smiling again, like his usual self. The cheeky grin was back on his good looking face and Chanyeol felt relieved because he was the one who at fault for wiping it away just now in the first place. “You are right, how do you like your egg cooked in the morning?”

  


“I love soft steamed egg, can you cook it for me, Pretty?” Baekhyun beamed as he continued to stare at Chanyeol with hopeful eyes.  

  
  


“You are not special, Byun Baekhyun,” Chanyeol snorted.

  


They chatted for a while before Chanyeol started yawning nonstop. After uttering a simple goodnight, he excused himself to sleep, leaving Baekhyun to study. Chanyeol fell asleep that night while browsing through the internet on ‘How to cook delicious steamed eggs’.

  


\---

 

Chanyeol was an early riser. His morning routine consisted of him turning on all of his favorite white noises inside his house. The sounds of the dryer tumbling and coffee brewing machine helped him relax as he prepared for breakfast. Breakfast was ready by the time for the kids to wake up. His enjoyed his quiet and peaceful morning so much.

  


He knew that his mornings wouldn't be the same anymore ever since Baekhyun became a new addition to his household, as his kids’ nanny. Baekhyun’s soft humming to a song as he was packing the boys’ food into separate containers would definitely go into Chanyeol’s morning white noises list. It was calming and at the same time, hilarious. Judging on how fast Baekhyun swayed his hips as he hummed to a slow song, he was definitely not in sync at all. Well, at least Chanyeol knew the nanny was happy.

  


“My newly added white noise,” Chanyeol murmured as he glanced at Baekhyun that was standing beside him.

  
  


“W-what?” Baekhyun squinted with a small wooden spoon stuck between his lips.

 

“Baekhyun,” Chanyeol gasped. He was shocked to see the tester bowl, evidence of his failed early attempts in making steamed eggs, in Baekhyun’s hand. The nanny was eating it with a flourish. “Where did you get that?” he asked. “T-that's the ruined ones,”   

  


Chanyeol tried to make steamed eggs for their breakfast that morning. He woke up around 4 AM to prepare it. He never tried cooking steamed eggs before, thus, after a couple of trials and errors, he finally succeeded in creating 4 bowls of steamed eggs he deemed edible and they were going to eat it with rice. He glanced at the oven and sighed. Baekhyun ate all the failed ones. The textures of those steamed eggs were not so soft and silky as he intended them to be. Unfortunately, he forgot to throw them away and kept the bowls together inside the oven. He sighed again when he saw an empty bowl in the kitchen sink. “Why did you ate it? It’s not turning out the way I wanted it to be,” He whined.

  


“Your steamed egg is so delicious, Pretty,” Baekhyun praised, his eyes were closed in bliss as he shoved another spoonful of the steamed egg into his mouth.

  


“You ate the tester ones, Byun Baekhyun,” Chanyeol snickered. “Such a sweet talker, aren't you?” he squinted, chuckling at the way Baekhyun’s mouth pouted. The nanny was adorably staring up at him like that and Chanyeol couldn't resist the urge to pinch his button nose.

 

Scrunching his nose, Baekhyun scooped another small portion of the steamed egg inside his bowl and shoved it inside Chanyeol’s mouth. “Taste it! I’m not lying,”

  


Chanyeol wasn't ready when Baekhyun charged toward him. He had his arms circling around Baekhyun’s back to keep them from falling on the floor. He groaned in distaste when the nanny managed to shove the spoon inside his mouth. Baekhyun had to tiptoe to match his height. He knew that they were both invading each other’s personal spaces when he could smell Baekhyun’s minty breath ghosting over his lips. Chanyeol was well aware that his entire face was burning at that moment and he was not surprised at all. But that was the first time he saw Baekhyun blushed. The nanny’s cheeks and nose were ruby red and he tore his gaze away from looking at Chanyeol’s eyes directly. This kind of reaction he got from Baekhyun was different and Chanyeol would be lying if he said he didn’t like it. Ducking down his head to search for Baekhyun’s eyes, he smiled. “Hmmm not bad. You are really telling me the truth, happy now?”  

  


“Pretty?”

  


“Hmm?”

  


“I know that I am not special, but thank you for making a steamed egg for breakfast today,” Baekhyun mumbled timidly.

  


“You are welcome, not special Byun Baekhyun,” Chanyeol smirked.

  


Clearing his throat, Baekhyun pushed Chanyeol away. “You can go get ready to work now, I’ll set the table and get the kids ready for school,” with that, he scurried over to the kids’ room, leaving Chanyeol alone in the kitchen.

  


Chanyeol was reluctant to let Baekhyun slipped away from his arms. He even thought about burrowing his nose into the crook of Baekhyun’s slender neck, inhaling his body scent and basking in the nanny’s energetic morning energy. Yes, he would very much like to do that. That would be the kind of lazy, relaxing morning that he would be looking forward to. He hated the fact that Jongdae was right and although he refused to confess it out loud, he admitted that really likes Byun Baekhyun ever since the first day they met.

  


But first, he had to tell him the truth.

  


\---

 

Chanyeol was in the middle of his jogging routine when Baekhyun called him that evening. His eyes wandered around the park to find a suitable place for him to accept the phone call. He deemed an empty bench just beside the pavement as a perfect spot for him to settle down. After making sure that his rapid heartbeats and panting were back to normal, he swiped the phone screen to answer.

  


“Yes, Baekhyun,” he rasped, struggling to hide his giddiness.

  


“Pretty,”

  


Chanyeol’s heart bloomed. He knew he must be looking silly right now from an outsider’s point of view, grinning like a fool. The tiredness that he felt engulfing his body immediately disappeared when he heard Baekhyun’s cheerful tone. The nanny recharged his depleting energy. He had to agree, Jongdae was telling him the truth, he was undeniably whipped for his nanny. “Are you guys alright?” he asked worriedly.

  


Baekhyun hummed. “Sorry to bother your working out time but this is a very important matter,”

  


Chanyeol frowned, what could be the problem that Baekhyun couldn't wait for him to come back home. “What is it?”

  


“It’s about Jongin and Sehun,”

  


Just at the mention of his sons’ names made his heartbeats sped up. His mind automatically started conjuring up so many bad possibilities that could happen to them.

  


“Nothing bad happened, Pretty. Breathe please,” Baekhyun coaxed.

 

Chanyeol could breathe normally again when Baekhyun reassured him that the kids were alright. “They are just up for trouble again,” Chanyeol snorted at that, not really surprised.

 

“They flooded their bathroom,” Baekhyun started explaining. “They played with your expensive shower bath and keep pumping it to produce more bubbles and they used it until the last drop. One whole bottle is gone,”

 

Groaning begrudgingly, Chanyeol massaged his throbbing temple. “It’s my fault. I should have kept it out of their reach in the first place,” he deadpanned.

 

“I’m sorry. I left them for a while inside their bathroom to take a piss and when I came back, the bottle was already in their hands. The floor inside your room is also wet because they ran to get the bottle from your bathroom with their drenched feet,” he whispered. “Oh my God, I feel really bad, I’m so sorry,” Baekhyun apologized, whining pitifully. “You can cut my salary, I don't even know if my salary would be enough to cover it,”

  


“Or I can just use yours,” Chanyeol suggested, smirking teasingly.

  


“You are gonna smell like peaches,” Baekhyun snorted. “A cheap peach,”

  


” I don't mind smelling like you. You smell good,” Chanyeol said it loud and clear as if the words didn't make him cringe and blush at the same time. He was glad that Baekhyun couldn't see his face.

  


“But never as good as you, Pretty,” Baekhyun murmured.

  


Chanyeol couldn't find his tongue to reply back. Baekhyun was not being fair. Jongdae was right again, Byun Baekhyun was such a sweet talker. He could charm everyone with his words.  

  


“Pretty, I just want to give you some heads up before you reach home. It’s about your house’s gloomy situation right now,”

  


“My stars are upset?” Chanyeol made a quick guess. If the kids were not happy, then the entire apartment including the people in it would most likely feel the same way too. Their bad mood was contagious. He stayed quiet to let Baekhyun continued his words.  

  


“Nini is upset and Hun is throwing a tantrum because grumpy Nini hides his teddy bear. I’ve been searching for Hun’s teddy bear all over the house but I couldn’t find it,” Baekhyun complained in devastation.

  


Baekhyun’s heavy breathing could be heard clearly from over the phone. The nanny sound genuinely concerned and distressed with his sons’ childish quarrel. For Chanyeol, Jongin and Sehun squabbling scene was normal. One minute they were fighting over toys then the second after their giggles could be heard booming from inside their room. “Alright, I’ll keep that in mind. Just, don't stop trying to find Sehun’s teddy. I’ll be back soon,”

  


\---

  


“I’m home,” Chanyeol announced as he walked into his apartment and slipped his feet into his fluffy house slippers. He could hear Sehun’s loud cries echoing throughout the entire apartment as the Little Star came running toward him from his bedroom.

  


“Appa! Appa!” Sehun screamed with tears running down his red cheeks.

 

“Yes, Little Star. I’m here,” Chanyeol cooed softly as he squatted down on the floor, arms wide open, waiting for Sehun to come closer. “Ouff,” he groaned in pain when their bodies collided. Lifting Sehun up from the floor, he kissed his temple while coaxing his youngest to stop crying.

  


“Appa, Big Star was being mean,” the Little Star whimpered, burrowing his wet face in the crook of his father’s neck. “He hides my teddy,”

  


“Where is your brother?” Chanyeol asked, eyes wandering across the apartment. “Where is your Nanny Bee?”  

 

Sehun huffed when his Appa wiped his watery face with the tissue that he pulled out from his pocket. “Nini is hiding inside our tent. Nanny Bee is still searching for my teddy,”

  


“Be a good boy and sit here for a while, I’m going to find them,” Chanyeol carried Sehun into the living room and placed him on one of the couches. He turned on the TV for Sehun and left to search for missing Jongin and Baekhyun. He found Baekhyun in his kids’’ bedroom, looking completely lost with his messy locks, cradling the kids’ toys full in his arms. The nanny was still in his work attires that he wore that morning, a baby blue dress shirt paired with black pants.

  


“Baekhyun,” he called while knocking on the door.   

  


Baekhyun flinched, almost making the toys in his arms fell on the floor. Chanyeol’s greeting startled him. Blowing at his long fringe, he exchanged smiles with the single father. “You are back. Wait, I need to sit down first,” he huffed and proceeded to sit at the edge on Jongin’s bed.

  


“You look busy and tired,” Chanyeol stated, wiggling his eyebrows playfully.

  


“Come here and sit with me, Pretty,” Baekhyun grinned, eyes gesturing to the empty spot right beside him.

  


Smacking his lips, Chanyeol couldn’t help but to roll his eyes as he scampered toward Baekhyun. He grabbed the kids’ empty toy basket along his way and placed it in front of the nanny as he sat next to him. Now both of them were busy picking up the toys that were scattered messily on the floor into the container.

  


“You can't find the kids’ rhythm yet huh? I see that you are still wearing your work clothes,” Chanyeol asked, mouth jutting at Baekhyun.

  


Scrunching his nose, Baekhyun yawned in exhaustion while stretching out his sore limbs. “I’m still learning about them. I need to earn their trust first. Tonight we are going to create their daily schedule. I hope I can keep up with their never-ending energy,” he said, wiping his watery eyes with the back of his palm.

  


“A great idea. An Appa-approved schedule, I hope,” Chanyeol chuckled. He then stopped collecting the toys on the floor and sighed. “Wait...why are we cleaning after their mess? Just leave it alone,” he grunted in displease. “Go and take a bath, and then we can eat dinner together. I’ll handle the kids,”

  


Scrunching his nose, Baekhyun sniffed his body, gasping slowly. “Do I stink?” he asked, staring at Chanyeol with wide blown eyes.  

  


Chanyeol smiled as he stared at Baekhyun’s horrified face. Shrugging, he got off from the bed, scoffing out loud. “You smelled like cheap peach,” He said while walking out from the kids’ bedroom. Baekhyun’s soft grumbles calling him ‘mean boss,’ made him chortle.

  


\---

  


Chanyeol crouched down to peek into the small opening of his son’s tent. He smiled when he saw a grumpy looking Jongin inside. “Big Star?”

  


Jongin scowled at his tall father and shifted his body to avoid facing him. “I’m upset,” he huffed.  

  


“Yes Jongin, I can clearly see that,” Chanyeol cooed. “What happened to my handsome prince?” he smiled when he saw Jongin’s cheeks turned red because of the compliment but the cranky boy still refused to look at him.

  


“You know, Appa is sad too,” he added while glancing at his son, faking a sad face.

  


Jongin’s head swiftly turned toward his father and crawled toward him. Kneeling, he then cupped his father’s face, staring at him in utter adoration. Caressing his father’s cheeks with his thumbs, Jongin asked. “Who made you sad, Appa?”   

  


Chanyeol’s eyes crinkled, smiling at son. He leaned closer to kiss Jongin’s forehead. “Nobody. It’s just that since I got home, I haven't gotten a hug from my Big Star yet,”   

  


“I’m sorry, don’t be sad,” Jongin cooed as he wrapped his arms around his father’s neck, squeezing him tightly.

  


Chanyeol patted the back of Jongin’s head. “I feel better now. Thank you,” he smiled. “Can you tell me what happened?” he laughed when Jongin turned his body around and invited himself to sit in Chanyeol’s lap. Bringing Jongin’s small figure closer into his embrace, he smooched the top of his firstborn’s head, waiting for him to speak up.

  


Shrugging at his father’s question, Jongin sighed. “It’s about love, Appa. It’s complicated,”

  


“Oh?” Chanyeol gasped, dumbfounded. He tried not to offend his son with his surprised face when Jongin glanced up at him. _‘How can his six years old son know about love?’_

  


“Adults won't understand,” Jongin pouted.

  


Rising his eyebrows, Chanyeol whispered. “I can be a great listener,”

  


Slumping his back on his father’s chest. Jongin mumbled. “There is this beautiful girl in my class named Miranda,” he started. “Her eyes are blue like the ocean, I like her a lot, Appa,”

  


Chanyeol hummed as he nodded. He buried his chin on Jongin’s head and held his small fingers in his palms. “Did she upset you?”

  


“She kissed Sehun’s cheek and then she said he is too adorable, I got jealous,” Jongin grumbled. “I am cute too,”

 

“Is that the reason for you to hide your little brother’s teddy?” Chanyeol asked. “That’s not fair for Sehun. Your brother is not the one who kissed her?” he gulped when his eyes locked with Jongin’s squinted one.

  


“Appa,” Jongin groaned in disapproval.

  


“Y-yeah?” Chanyeol replied with cautiousness, he didn't know what he did wrong but Jongin’s judging stare made him feel bad already. “What I mean is… You too can't resist kissing his chubby cheeks right?”

  


Pursing his lips, Jongin crawled back into his tent and zipped up its entrance, hiding from his father. “I need time to sort out my feelings, give me some space please,” he said sternly, with an air of finality.

  


\---

  


“Baekhyun,” Chanyeol called carefully while knocking on  Baekhyun’s bedroom door. He kept glancing at Sehun that was taking a nap on the couch. He didn't want to wake the boy up. His Little Star would get cranky if his sleep was interrupted. He pushed the door open when he received a soft ‘Come in’ from Baekhyun. Jongin’s love problem, he didn't know how to handle it. He needed someone’s opinion regarding this matter, fast.

  


“Is everything alright, Pretty?” Baekhyun asked, nose scrunched as he pushed his large spectacles from slipping down on his nose bridge. Shoving another mouthful of snacks into his mouth, he grinned at Chanyeol.  

  


Chanyeol’s heart thumped wildly at the sight. Baekhyun’s hair was still damp with his wet long fringes covering his droopy eyes. He was wearing a large, baggy white t-shirt and short black pants. The nanny was sitting in his favorite position (crossed legs) while staring at his laptop. His books were strewn messily on his bed, some even fell on the floor without him realizing it. “I’m sorry for bothering you. I’ll come back again later,” Chanyeol spoke hoarsely, already turning on his heels to exit from the nanny’s room.

  


“Pretty? It’s fine, come here,” Baekhyun smiled and started arranging his books to make space for Chanyeol.  

 

Pursing his lips, Chanyeol padded back into the room and started picking up Baekhyun’s book on the floor before sitting at the edge of the bed. The cleaning, he did it out of habit. He internally wished that Baekhyun wouldn't feel offended about it. Placing the stack of books in his hands on the bedside table, his eyes started to scan around. Baekhyun kept his bedroom clean and airy, the night breeze coming through his opened window made him tremble. “The cold night air will make you sick,” he said, pointing toward Baekhyun’s ajar window.

  


“Oh, I forgot to close it,” Baekhyun grumbled while rubbing his hand, sneezing loudly.

  


“Let me touch you,” said Chanyeol. He smiled when he got a shrug from Baekhyun, approving it. He placed his palm on Baekhyun’s forehead, frowning. “It’s warm, are you sick?”

  


Pulling away from Chanyeol’s hand, Baekhyun huffed. “I’m alright,”

  


Chanyeol snorted and threw his clean handkerchief on Baekhyun’s lap, subtly signaling for the nanny to wipe his runny nose. “We agreed that you will have your day off on Saturdays right? You can rest properly tomorrow,”

  


“I forgot about my off day!” Baekhyun said cheerfully and shoved another handful of his favorite chips into his small mouth. He groaned in annoyance when the chip crumbs fell all over his lap.

  


“How can you eat your dinner after gobbling all of these junk food, Baekhyun?” Chanyeol inquired out of curiosity. Judging by the large amounts of junk food packaging that he saw in Baekhyun’s dustbin, it seemed quite unhealthy.

  


“I need something to chew on when I’m studying,” Baekhyun retorted, rolling his eyes at Chanyeol.

  


Chanyeol broke into laughter when Baekhyun tried to offer him his snack, blinking innocently. He looked extremely adorable. “No, thank you,”

  


Patting himself clean, Baekhyun threw the empty pack into the dustbin, shouting a triumphant ‘Yes’ when it fell perfectly into it. Averting his attention back to Chanyeol, he asked. “Do you know why Jongin was behaving like that? Did he tell you where he hid Sehun’s teddy?”

  


Inhaling and exhaling deeply, Chanyeol rubbed his face with his palms when he remembered his true intention for coming into Baekhyun’s room in the first place. “He needed some space. Tell me Baekhyun, how well do you know about love?”

  


Knitting his eyebrows together, Baekhyun scratched his chin. Thinking hard to answer. His shoulders slumped, a soft sigh escaped from his lips. “I experienced my first love and it turned out really bad. Since then I lost interest in love,”

  


Chanyeol nodded, he understood Baekhyun’s situation. “You never tried again after your first love ended?”

  


“Nope, I think I used up all the love I had in me. So there’s no more love to give away,” Baekhyun beamed. “How about you?”

  


“Hmm, I started meeting people again two years after my wife died. It’s just a fling here and there, nothing really serious,” Chanyeol shrugged. “My last break up was about months ago. We had to end it because I was coming back home,”

 

“Your wife, do you miss her?” Baekhyun whispered, eyes searching into Chanyeol’s.

  


Chanyeol smiled, nodding lightly. He decided to be honest with Baekhyun. “Sometimes...I really miss her,”  

  


“It’s hard to forget,” Baekhyun mumbled, fingers fiddling. A moment of silence conquered them, both lost in their own thoughts. Lifting his head up, he chuckled when their gazes met.

  


“Why did conversations with you always end with sad emotions?” he grumbled, breaking the abrupt silence between them.

  
  


“I’m sorry,” Chanyeol sighed. “I told you before right? If the kids were in a bad mood, we were going to get gloomy too,” Smiling, Chanyeol glanced at his wristwatch and stood up from Baekhyun’s bed.

  
  


“I need to go check out on Sehun. I’ll be cooking dinner soon. I know you are in your break time, but please help me search for Sehun’s teddy before he wakes up crying again,”

  


Chanyeol laughed when Baekhyun slumped his body on the bed, acting like he was sleeping.    

  


“Get to work, you are not special, Byun Baekhyun,”

 

\---

  


“Appa!” Jongin screamed.

  


Chanyeol was in his kitchen, busily scrolling for tonight’s menu. Jongin’s loud voice calling for his attention stopped him from looking at his phone. He placed the device on the marble countertop and waited for his son to enter the area.

  


“I’m not mad anymore,” the Big Star announced happily.

  


“That’s good, are you hungry now?” Chanyeol squinted. An enthusiastic nod from Jongin made him smile. Patting his thighs, he signaled his son to come closer. He lifted Jongin to sit on his lap and kissed the top of his head. “So, have you figured out what do you want to eat for dinner tonight?”

  


Baekhyun came into the kitchen seconds later, carrying a sleepy Sehun in his arms. The Little Star giggled, mumbling about his butt getting cold when the nanny placed him to sit on the marble countertop. Baekhyun sat facing Chanyeol before wrapping his arms around Sehun’s tiny waist, ensuring his safety.

  


“I already apologize to Hunnie and gave his teddy back,” Jongin informed, smiling bashfully.

  


“What changed your mind?” Chanyeol asked, reaching forward to ruffle Sehun’s bushy bed locks.

  


Inhaling deeply, Jongin sighed. “I like Miranda but I love Sehun more, he is my baby brother. I can find another Miranda but nothing can replace Little Star’s place,”

  


Chanyeol glanced at Baekhyun. The nanny was smiling, looking proud. _‘Baekhyun must have told something to make him change his stubborn mind,’_

  


“I love Nini too!” Sehun shouted with his red cheeks. “Appa, I want to eat meat tonight,”

  


“Grilled meat!” Jongin added, clapping his hands excitedly. “Oh! Can Nanny Bee come along too? What will he eat at home if we leave him alone tonight?” he murmured, gazing between his Appa’s and his nanny’s faces.

  


Sehun pulled the nanny into his hug, holding him tightly. “He will starve,” he gasped. “Nanny Bee said he can’t cook at all, Appa,”  

  


Shutting his eyes, Baekhyun groaned in displease. “I’m capable of feeding myself, thank you very much,” he said. “Plus, I already ate…,” he couldn't finish his sentences when his eyes met with Chanyeol’s darker ones.

  


“I told you that you will ruin your dinner with your junk food,” Chanyeol scoffed. Baekhyun did eat a lot of junk food before dinner.  

  


“Your Appa scolded me,” Baekhyun pouted and hid his face in the crook of Sehun’s neck, faking a sob.  

  


Rolling his eyes at Baekhyun’s poor acting, Chanyeol snickered. “As your boss, I have the responsibility to make sure you eat. I call it ‘worker’s benefit’, applicable for all nannies that babysit my children,” he stated. Of course he was lying, he never took his other nannies to eat outside. Byun Baekhyun was the first, he was the special one.

  


Pulling his face away from Sehun’s body, Baekhyun blinked. “Worker’s...benefit?”

  


“Yeah, you are not that special, Byun Baekhyun,” Chanyeol laughed. He kept praying that his children wouldn't say anything about the term. He warily avoided eye contact with Jongin. His eldest son could read his mind effortlessly.

 

“Who would say no to meat?” Baekhyun beamed. “I’ll go get ready now. The kids are all set to go, they just have to put on their jackets,” He lifted Sehun down to the floor and rushed toward his bedroom.

  


Chanyeol watched Baekhyun’s retreating back and smiled. He yelped in pain when Sehun’s tiny fingers pinched his arm. “W-what?” he flushed, blowing and rubbing the sore spot diligently.

  


“You like our Nanny Bee,” Jongin snorted and Sehun giggled.

  


Chanyeol’s face was burning. He could never lie to his kids. His emotions, what was running through his mind, they could easily read it like an open book. “Of course not,” he mumbled in denial, shaking his head lightly.

  
  


“Appa, we all know that there is no such thing as the worker’s benefit. We stayed quiet about it because you looked adorable when you are lying,” Jongin smiled, fists bumping with Sehun.

  


Massaging his temple, Chanyeol covered his red face with his palms. “How old are you, Park Jongin? You sounded like your uncle Dae,” he whispered, peeking at Jongin and Sehun between the gaps of his fingers. The boys were grinning back at him and Chanyeol never felt more exposed than during that moment.

  


\---

  


Chanyeol could say that Baekhyun really loved to eat meat. The nanny was eating diligently, practically inhaling the food as he kept on making lettuce wraps, topping them with all sort of condiments and side dishes. Chanyeol couldn't take his eyes off of him that he almost forgot to eat his own share of food. Baekhyun chewed on his food loudly, his thin lips were oily but he didn't seem to bother wiping it off.

  


When Baekhyun suddenly shoved a special wrap into Chanyeol’s mouth with his greasy hands, Chanyeol didn't cringe, he ate it all up. Seconds later, the nanny and his kids were laughing at his misery. His mouth was burning, it becomes so numb due to Baekhyun’s special mix of 6 pieces of garlic and 2 pieces of red pepper inside the wrap.

  


“I’m sorry,” Baekhyun panicked when Chanyeol started coughing nonstop. “Wait here, I’ll go find something to lessen the spiciness,” he whispered and quickly got up from the table.

  


“Where are you going?” Chanyeol asked while grabbing Baekhyun’s wrist. The nanny looked like he knew everything about the BBQ meat shop like the back of his palms.

  


“I’ll go ask something from Mr. and Mrs. Kim, the shop owners. They’re usually busy working in the kitchen,”  

  


“You know Jongdae’s parent? You know that this is their restaurant?” Chanyeol asked, eyebrows turned into a quizzical frown.

  


Baekhyun shrugged as he patted one of his shoulders smugly. “Of course, I usually worked here during my semester breaks, they are nice people,” Baekhyun beamed and rushed to enter the shop’s kitchen area.

  


Chanyeol was left alone at the table, busy flipping the meat in front of him. The kids already finished their food and went upstairs to Jongdae’s parents’ house to play with their other cousins, Jongdae’s six years old twin nephews. He kept on smacking his lips. He was not really good at handling spicy food. The burning sensations in his mouth made him drool. Five minutes later, he saw Baekhyun coming out from the kitchen, holding a spoon in his hand.

  


“Here, eat this, Pretty,” Baekhyun huffed and shoved the spoon into Chanyeol’s gaping mouth.

  


Chanyeol didn't have the chance to ask about the sticky ingredient that he spotted on the spoon before having it put into his mouth. He sighed in relief when the sticky substances coated his tongue, creating a soothing effect all over his mouth. The intense pleasure made him moan in delight. _‘Peanut butter?’_

  


“It feels good right?” Baekhyun laughed, eyes crinkling with joy.

  


Nodding bashfully, Chanyeol smiled. At least his appetite was back. He got flustered when Baekhyun put the spoon that he used inside his own mouth, sucking it leisurely while making another wrap.

  


“I like peanut butter,” Baekhyun grinned.

  


Chanyeol’s heart skipped a beat. Only then he realized that Baekhyun was sitting too close to him. The butterflies inside his stomach flapped like crazy when their shoulders brushed together.

  


“Pretty?”

  


Chanyeol stopped chewing when he saw the drastic changes on Baekhyun’s facial features. Swallowing the food in his mouth, he tapped on the nanny’s shoulder. “Are you alright? You look pale,” he asked. The nanny cowered beside him, palms covering his face.

  


Baekhyun flinched at his touch as he kept on glancing at the direction of two tables away from theirs. “It's him,” he whispered. “and his friends,”

  


Looking at where Baekhyun’s apprehensive gaze was directed, Chanyeol saw a group of men in their late 30s, enjoying their dinner together. There was one good looking man, the tallest among them that kept gazing at their table. The man’s face was red, and he looked drunk. Chanyeol was startled when Baekhyun suddenly got up from his seat.

  


“I’m going to the bathroom,” Baekhyun murmured, lowering his head down.

  


\---

  


“We can start all over, Baek. I miss you, I miss your body, my wife can’t pleasure me as you do,” the man pleaded.  

  
  


Baekhyun covered his ears with his palms, chewing on his bottom lip. His body trembled while trying to back away. “Shut up, please go!” he sniffled, stepping further away from his drunk ex-lover. He hated being reminded of his dark past. He was utterly embarrassed by it. He gasped when his back touched the bathroom wall. His ex-lover successfully cornered him. His jaws clenched in disgust when his ex-lover’s hands began roaming freely all over his body.  

  
  


“Look at you, blooming so prettily. Is this all for me, Baek?” The man snickered, mouth hovering over Baekhyun’s nape. “You smell so good,”

  
  


The sound of a belt unbuckling and the zippers of the man’s trousers brought Baekhyun out of his trance state. Gritting his teeth in anger, he punched the man, hard. The drunk man fell on the floor, whimpering in pain.

  


“If you think you can still used me as you please, think again. I’m no longer that weak dumb boy that you can fool easily. If you dare show your face in front of me again, I’ll not think twice to destroy your career and your life, watch me,” Baekhyun snickered, hands balling at his sides.

  


\---

 

Chanyeol couldn't stay still any longer when he saw the man followed his nanny into the bathroom. His instincts told him that something bad was going to happen if Baekhyun was left alone with the man. When he arrived in the bathroom, the nanny was punching the man’s face. He rushed toward Baekhyun and dragged him out to sit back at their table. Baekhyun looked restless, he kept on chewing his bottom lip, legs bouncing from beneath the table.

  


“I...I punched him,” Baekhyun whimpered as he rubbed his face with his quivering palms.  

  


“He deserved it,” Chanyeol smirked. He pulled Baekhyun’s hoodies up to cover his head and searched for his eyes, smiling when their gazes locked. Absentmindedly reaching his hand out toward Baekhyun’s face, he stopped mid-action, contemplating to go further.

  


“Can I touch you?” he asked, seeking for permission and at the same time cringing over how dumb he sounded. He nervously waited for Baekhyun to give a response, heart thundering inside his chest wildly that he thought it could burst soon. The nanny closed his eyes and leaned closer toward Chanyeol’s offered hand. Chanyeol rested his palm on Baekhyun’s smooth cheek, caressing him gently.

  
  


“You hand is warm,” the nanny hummed. “I like it,”

  


Chanyeol’s heart soared at the praise. Slowly shortening the distance between their faces, his thumb never stopped stroking Baekhyun’s flushed cheek. “Let's  call the kids upstairs and go home hmm?”

  


After bidding their goodbyes, Chanyeol led them downstairs. Baekhyun following closely behind, holding Jongin’s and Sehun’s hands tightly. They were heading toward the restaurant’s parking lot.   

  


“Wait in the car,” Chanyeol instructed and patted Baekhyun’s head softly. “You guys follow your nanny, I’ll be back soon,” he smiled, turning his heels toward the shop again. A sudden tug on the back of his coat stopped Chanyeol from entering the shop. Looking behind, he saw Baekhyun staring back at him. His eyes wandered at his car, the kids were all buckled up, already waiting for him inside.

  


“Where are you going?” Baekhyun mumbled as he let go of Chanyeol’s coat.

  


“I’m making sure that the man is not going to bother you ever again,” said Chanyeol. He thought about helping Baekhyun with his lawyer.  

  


“F-for someone not special like me, this is too much,” Baekhyun rasped out, clearly rejecting Chanyeol’s good intention. “Please stay out of it, Mr. Park,”  

  


Chanyeol chuckled, running his thumb on Baekhyun’s chin. “You are still not special, Byun Baekhyun. It’s the worker’s benefit,” he replied. Of course he was blatantly lying. He wanted to help because he liked the nanny. With that, he left Baekhyun, ignoring his name being called repeatedly by the nanny.

  


\---

  


Chanyeol had always loved weekends. The kids usually woke up late, sleeping in. He also didn't have to rush in preparing for his kids’ breakfast. For an early riser like him, being able to wake up before the sun rises in the morning was such a blessing. He had time for himself. Equipped with his mug of freshly brewed morning coffee in his hand, he whistled happily toward his living room. Just thinking about lazing around on his comfy couch while watching his recorded TV series made him giddy.

  


He halted in his steps when he saw Baekhyun sitting on the couch, busily folding his dry clothes, eyes glued on the TV. “Baekhyun?”

  


Flipping his head toward Chanyeol, Baekhyun smiled. “Morning, Pretty. Come here,” he said while gesturing toward the empty spot beside him.

  


Chanyeol’s heart was doing back flips at the invitation. Baekhyun always welcomed him to his side. Sitting together on the couch while doing their house chores, it definitely looked awfully domestic. For a homebody like him, he liked this feeling a lot. It warmed his being. Pretending that Baekhyun didn't get him all flustered, he scoffed. “You are up early?” he asked as he plopped down beside Baekhyun.  

  


“So are you,” Baekhyun teased.

  


Chanyeol liked watching Baekhyun’s every move. He kept him amused. Like right now, the nanny kept burrowing his nose into every freshly washed clothes, sniffing the clean fragrance of detergents before folding them neatly and stacked them on the coffee table.

  


“I already finished folding mine. Would you like me to fold your kids’ and your clothes later? I can help, Pretty,” Baekhyun beamed, staring at Chanyeol, not blinking.

  


Shaking his head, Chanyeol sipped his coffee. He noticed that Baekhyun’s face was red. The nanny seldom blushed, this was a rare sight. “Let me,” he said, hand already reaching out to hold Baekhyun’s face. This touching though, it shouldn't become their habit. He was no longer hesitating and Baekhyun turned mushy instantly when he touched him. They became far too comfortable with each other’s presence now. The warmth that he felt underneath his palm made him gasped. “Your body is burning,”

  
  


Pulling away from Chanyeol, Baekhyun chuckled. “You are exaggerating,”

  


“Have you eaten your medicines?” Chanyeol squinted.

  


Baekhyun shifted his gaze away from Chanyeol and diverted his focus on the TV. He folded his legs and rested his chin on top of his knee pads. Holding his thighs tightly inside his arms, he whispered a barely audible ‘No’.  

  


Chanyeol sighed as he caressed Baekhyun’s head. “If you don't eat your medicines, the fever will only get worse,”

  


Purring slowly, Baekhyun let Chanyeol played with his hair as he watched the TV. “I’ll eat them later,” he pouted childishly.

  


“Byun Baekhyun, go and eat your medicine, now,” Chanyeol retorted, groaning in frustration. It was harder to get Byun Baekhyun to eat medicine than his children.

  


Tilting his head toward Chanyeol, Baekhyun huffed. “I can't eat with an empty stomach, feed me,” he grumbled.

  


“Excuses,” Chanyeol chided. "What do you want to eat for breakfast?" he questioned, chuckling at the way Baekhyun's face brightened up instantly. "Let me guess, steamed eggs," he deadpanned.

  
  


“You’ll cook steamed eggs for me...again?” Baekhyun gasped, scooting closer toward Chanyeol. “Thank you,” he smiled, staring at Chanyeol joyfully.

  


Moving his hand dismissively, Chanyeol placed his palm on Baekhyun’s entire face, pushing him away. He couldn't look straight into Baekhyun’s eyes without getting flustered. It was embarrassing and he didn't want Baekhyun to know about this little crush that he had on him.

  


Baekhyun laughed while his face was being squashed under Chanyeol’s large palms. “I can’t breath,” he whimpered while trying to push the latter away. He tried to fight back, doing the same to Chanyeol but it was proven difficult given the fact that Chanyeol was the taller one among them both. With his long hands, he could easily push Baekhyun away. The nanny had to poke Chanyeol’s waist, tickling the man to lower him down.  

  


Both of them were a giggling mess on the couch, pushing and poking at each other’s bodies. Chanyeol managed to settle on top of Baekhyun, pinning him down with the smaller male’s arms pushed above his head. The struggling stopped, both panting hard. Their chests rose up and down together. It was the first time Chanyeol saw Baekhyun’s flushed, deep red cheeks. The nanny was blushing profusely underneath him. They maintained their eye contacts, neither one of them wanted to end that moment, they refused to. They kept staring at one another intensely as if they were mesmerized by each other’s faces.   

  


“Appa and Nanny Bee are doing mating...dance, right? Like Toothless and light Fury, ” Sehun said to his big brother that was standing beside him.

  


“Yeah, they are making weird faces too,” Jongin added, frowning at his father.

  


Chanyeol and Baekhyun yelped in shock, both struggling to get up and ended up sitting at separate ends of the sofa, far away from one another.

  


Fixing his messy hair, Chanyeol smiled awkwardly. “M-morning?” he rasped.   

  


“Appa, is Nanny Bee your Light Fury?” Sehun asked, hugging his teddy bear tightly on his side.

  


“Appa made weird faces when he’s with Nanny Bee, just like Toothless,” Jongin smirked.

  


Clearing his throat, Chanyeol got up from the couch and lifted Sehun up from the floor. Baekhyun started moving too as he held Jongin’s hand and pulled him to walk together back into their room.

  


“Go and take a shower, we are going to eat breakfast together, then I’m going to send you to your grandpa’s house. Your grandma kept calling me since this morning,”

 

\---

 

“Appa! Nanny Bee refused to eat his medicines!” Sehun screamed.

  


Groaning, Baekhyun curled into a ball under his blanket. “Put the medicines on the table, I’ll eat them soon, let me sleep for a while. Your grandpa is waiting for you. Go now, Little Star,”

  


Smacking his lips, Jongin placed his palm on his nanny’s scorching forehead. “Your body is getting hotter, eat your medicines now,” he demanded.

  


“I know Appa gave you his adult’s pills but if you are scared of those pills, we’ll give you our orange flavored syrup. Our favorite medicine when we got sick, it’s not bitter, it tasted sweet,” he mumbled, delicately stroking his nanny’s head.

  


“Eat your medicines, Byun Baekhyun,” Chanyeol said sternly as he leaned on Baekhyun’s door frame.

  


Sehun sniffled, upset at the cold tone his Appa used while talking to Nanny Bee. “Please don't scold Nanny Bee, Appa,”

  


Chanyeol walked into the bedroom with arms crossed over his chest. “Go and finish packing your things kids. I’ll make sure your nanny eat his medicines,” he watched the kids kissed Baekhyun’s head and Jongin pulled Sehun to walk out of the bedroom door.

  


“Baekhyun, sit up properly and eat this aspirin,” Chanyeol demanded while placing the medicine tray on the bedside table. “You are making us worry about you. How am I going to leave the house with you being sick like this,”

  


“I’m sorry,” Baekhyun whimpered, hands massaging his temple. “ I hate eating meds,” he cringed, eyeing the tray in displeasure. To stop Chanyeol from glaring at him, he finally took the pills in Chanyeol’s palm. He kept on gagging, eyes watery as he tried to swallow the pill down into his throat with a glass of water.

  


Wiping his wet lips with the back of his palm, he placed the empty glass on the tray and groaned. “It’s embarrassing, right? My terrible gag reflex,” he flushed. “The sound that I make will traumatize your kids,”

  


Chanyeol clicked his tongue and shook his head. “It is a lot easier to get them to eat their medicines than you. You are acting like their little baby brother,” he snickered.

  


“I don't want to be neither their brother nor your son,” Baekhyun whispered as he snuggled his whole body back into the blanket.  

  


“What?” Chanyeol asked, he heard Baekhyun mumbling about something. “I’m going to stay at my parents’ house for a while, maybe I’ll be home late, so don't wait for me. There is a chicken porridge I prepared for you in the kitchen,”

  


\---

  


Chanyeol sipped his Apple Mojito, enjoying the cozy ambiance of his favorite sky lounge bar. The dimly lit lighting of the bar combined with medium volume chill pop music helped him to relax. He chose to sit at the secluded area of the bar, facing Gangnam’s beautiful night skyline from the glass window.  

  


“I know I can find you here,” Jongdae smiled and sat beside Chanyeol on the comfy sofa. “So, my parents told me that you have been showing off your new nanny to everyone,”

  


Rolling his eyes, Chanyeol sighed. “We had dinner with the kids, that’s all, Dae,”

  


Chanyeol smirked as his eyes landed at the bar area. “I know you have a crush on one of the adorable bartenders here and by the way, his name is Xiumin,” he teased. Jongdae’s flushed reaction made him laughed.

  


“I know his name, I’m sending him home tonight,” Jongdae grinned, glancing at the long bar section.

  


Chanyeol patted Jongdae’s back, congratulating him. Their conversation stopped when Jongdae’s phone rang.

  


After a quick conversation, Jongdae hung up, patting his forehead repeatedly. “Shit, I forgot about Baekhyun,”

  


“What about him?” Chanyeol asked, beginning to worry. Baekhyun was sick today. The nanny struggled to eat his medicine. He was busy at his parents’ house but he made sure that the nanny had food to eat while he was gone.

  


“I was supposed to pick Baekhyun up from the club tonight,” Jongdae huffed. “I told him to stop being an angel, looking after all the girls in the office,”

  


“What is he doing in the club with girls?” Chanyeol growled. Jealousy crept inside his heart and it annoyed him. He shouldn't feel this way. Baekhyun was not his lover, he was free to do whatever he wants without Chanyeol being petty or possessive about it.

  


“The girls, they know about his love preference. You know, about liking man. It all started the first time they went happy hour together. Baekhyun made sure all the drunk girls safely arrived home. Since then, they kept calling him to come and look after them every time they went to a club.

  


Chanyeol sighed. “Helping them is good but he was not feeling well today, he has a goddamn fever,”  

  


“Can you please help me to fetch him up at the club? You guys are living in the same house anyway. Please, I owe you, one cousin, if you help me,” Jongdae begged.

  


Twirling the cocktail glass in his hand, Chanyeol glanced at his cousin, lips pursed into a thin line. “Dae, you told me about how sweet Baekhyun is to everyone right?”

  


“Yeah, he is the kind of person that always makes you feel like you’re someone special to him, albeit unintentionally,” Jongdae replied, frowning at Chanyeol.

  


Chanyeol huffed, rubbing his face with his palms. “He makes me feel special too,” he murmured, staring blankly at the beautiful night sky ahead of him through the bar’s ceiling-to-floor glass wall. Talking about Baekhyun, the yearning made his heart ache as he was sure the latter was someone unattainable for him, certainly out of his league.  

  


“You really do like him,” Jongdae gasped as he scooted closer to Chanyeol.  

  
  


Chanyeol’s face glowed red, the grip on his glass tightened as he bowed down to avoid having eye contact with Jongdae.

  


Sighing, Jongdae caressed Chanyeol’s shoulder. “I already warned you about how you shouldn’t be harboring feeling toward him right? I'm sorry that he rejected you,” he mumbled in resignation.

  


Shaking his head, Chanyeol chuckled while raising his left hand to summon his second drink from the bartender. “No, he didn't know about my feeling yet,”

  


Jongdae’s thick eyebrows raised as he smirked. “Oh? So this meant you are pathetically wallowing in self-pity, afraid that he won't feel the same as you and only considered you as one of his special friends huh? This situation is definitely just like that of his doctor friend he had for years now,”

  


“How many special friends, beside me that he had?” Chanyeol hissed with a tinge of annoyance, totally unimpressed.

  


“You are not special, Park Chanyeol,” Jongdae snickered. “I’ve met this doctor friend of his quite a few times. Like I said before, Baekhyun is so good in making people fell in love with him but at the same time being completely oblivious about it,” He frowned. “Just like you, Park Chanyeol. Byun Baekhyun made you taste your own medicine,”

  


Glancing at his wristwatch, Chanyeol fixed his hair and his suit. Chugging down the remnants of his drink until the last drop, he got up from the coziness of the sofa. “It’s time, I have to pick up Baekhyun,”

  


A gentle tug on the hem of his suit halted him from moving away. “What?” he grumbled. Jongdae’s wiggling eyebrows irritated him.

  


“Park Chanyeol is afraid of rejection, so he gives up before he even starts,”

  


Chanyeol’s jaw clenched, Jongdae’s snarky remark indeed poked his pissed-off-button. He wanted to refute back with something equally sarcastic but nothing came up. His mind went blank for a moment. Jongdae was indeed telling him nothing but the truth.

 

\---

  


Chanyeol’s mood turned sour ever since the impromptu talk that he had with Jongdae at the bar. His heart was racing wildly as he waited for Baekhyun to emerge from the club Jongdae told him just now. He felt restless because he was pondering about the possibility of what if Baekhyun actually knew of his feelings and was doing a fantastic job playing with it. He felt like being mocked about his own flaws. _‘Is it true that he had the same traits as Baekhyun? Caring and sweet to other people, giving mixed signals to people that made them misunderstood him? Is he that cruel?_

  


He better changes that shitty attitude of his in making friends. He had to set some boundaries because now when he was finally on the same side with those people, it hurts like hell. He truly felt sorry for them.   

  


Glancing at his wristwatch, he stared at the entrance of the club, frowning. He already checked the name and the address several times on his phone, so he couldn't be wrong, but where was Byun Baekhyun?

  


Chanyeol was probably going to be meeting with his future subordinates so he had to conceal his identity from them. He lowered his cap and wore his black face mask as he stood on the sidewalk. The dim lighting of the pavement helped his disguise too. His head immediately perked up when he heard a burst of very familiar laughter booming from the entrance. The small flame that's burning inside his chest turned into a massive inferno when his eyes landed on Baekhyun’s figure. Balling his fists on his sides, Chanyeol breathed in deeply, trying to regain control of his whirlwind of emotions.

  
  


_‘Don't act stupid, don't act stupid,’_ he kept chanting incessantly inside his mind.

  


Two obviously drunk girls were latching themselves on Baekhyun. The three of them staggered toward a taxi that was waiting for them at the sidewalk. The girls were giggling as they kept kissing the nanny’s cheeks, praising how sweet and good looking he was.  Chanyeol had to step in when he noticed Baekhyun having difficulties in maintaining their balance that they almost fell down on the hard asphalt.

  


“Let me help you,” Chanyeol offered, tapping on Baekhyun’s back gently.

  


Baekhyun’s eyes grew large like saucers, mouth hanging wide open when he turned toward Chanyeol. “Pretty?” he gasped disbelievingly.

  


Gently taking one of the girls away from Baekhyun, Chanyeol eased her into the taxi. He waited for Baekhyun to do the same with the other girl in his arm. They just stared at each other’s faces for a while, not a word being exchanged. Baekhyun still looked surprised, he must be expecting Jongdae to fetch him.

  


“Baekhyun?”

  


One of the workers named Soojung, Chanyeol remembered her from the pictures that Baekhyun showed him when he helped him at the office, noticed Baekhyun and Chanyeol at the sidewalk.

  


“Am touching you,” Chanyeol husked out, leaning down to search for Baekhyun’s eyes.

  


Baekhyun flinched when Chanyeol’s warm breath hit his ear. “Huh? Okay?” he replied, glancing at his friends that were walking toward them. He was blushing profusely when Chanyeol’s arm was on the small of his back, dragging him closer to his side.  

  


“Is this your boyfriend?” Soojung smiled, eyeing Chanyeol suspiciously. “No wonder you keep rejecting my offer to introduce you to my friends. You are already taken,” she smirked, twirling some strands of her long hair.

  


Clearing his throat, Chanyeol grabbed Baekhyun’s wrist. “This is the last time you are using my boyfriend as your safety pin. Don't think about asking his favor for something like this again,” he growled and tugged Baekhyun away from the group.

  


_‘Shit, shit, shit,’_ Chanyeol didn't know what had gotten into him that made him react dumbly like that. He kept glancing at the confused looking Baekhyun that he dragged at the back. The nanny must be so angry at him right now. His heart clenched when Baekhyun pulled his hand away. Maybe the nanny was getting ready to punch him. Oh well, for being an impulsive asshole like that, he knew he deserved it.

  


Shoving his hands into his pants pocket, Baekhyun glanced up at Chanyeol’s face. “What are you doing, Mr. Park?”  

  


“I’m sorry, for the stunt I pulled back there,” Chanyeol sighed. “I don't like the way they are using you,” he mumbled. “I know I am not in the place for saying something like that, again, I’m sorry, I really am,”

  


Baekhyun snickered but still walked beside Chanyeol nonetheless. “I know when to say no,”

  


Chanyeol could feel his face burning. He was embarrassing himself and at the same time belittling Baekhyun’s self-care capability. He felt awful.

  


“I’m sorry,” Chanyeol repeated, cheeks red as tomatoes. “Looking at the lipstick stains all over your face, your body and shirt made me angry,” he blurted. “They treated you like their kissing pole,” he whispered.

  


“And I’m telling you, those lipstick marks are freaking hard to wash, they’re gonna stay on your clothes,” he added. His heart thumped crazier when there was no response from Baekhyun.  

  


“Pretty?”

  


Halting mid-steps, Chanyeol’s head whipped toward Baekhyun. “Yeah?” he gulped.

  


“If I wipe off these lipstick stains on me, will you stop getting angry because of them?” Baekhyun huffed. “Give me your wet tissue,” he demanded, reaching out an opened palm toward Chanyeol.

  


“I am being stupid. My job is only to take you home. Not being nosy about your businesses,” Chanyeol kept on rambling. He paused when he saw Baekhyun’s eyebrows knitted. Sighing deeply, he placed his travel pack wet tissue in Baekhyun’s palm. “Just...let’s go home,”

  


They resumed walking together on the slippery roadside and Chanyeol chose to keep his mouth shut. He knew all too well that if he started talking again, nothing good would come out of him eventually. He might end up hurting both of them, especially Baekhyun. “I’m sorry,”

  


“Huh? What is the reason this time?” Baekhyun huffed, lightly kicking tiny pebbles along his way.

  


“I parked my car too far away,” Chanyeol grumbled. He was being honest, making jokes was not his intention but hearing Baekhyun’s soft laughter made him smile too.

  


“That’s alright. This way, I could spend more time walking with you...my boyfriend,” Baekhyun snickered.

  


Chanyeol’s face heated up, the mocking again! Baekhyun teasing smiles while looking at him made him feel small. How could he blurt something like that so nonchalantly in the first place? “Sorry about that too,” he agreed.

  


“At least that would put a stop to those awful rumors about me being in a relationship with the CEO,” Baekhyun chuckled. “Can you believe it? The CEO? I feel bad for Mrs. Park,”

  


They arrived at the parking lot, Chanyeol was about to get into his car when Baekhyun called him. “Yeah?”

  


“Thank you boyfriend, for picking me up,” Baekhyun beamed and quickly occupied his seat inside the car, leaving a dumbfounded Chanyeol outside, gasping helplessly for air like a fish out of water.  

  


\---

  


The same night, Chanyeol was planning to grab a glass of cold water for his parched throat in the kitchen when he spotted Baekhyun in his sleeping attires still watching a late midnight movie in the living room. Grabbing another glass of water, he strolled toward him, carefully not to disrupt Baekhyun’s concentration on the movie he was watching. “Baekhyun,” he called quietly.

  


Baekhyun smiled and scooted to his side, making a space for Chanyeol to sit. “My boyfriend,” he beamed. “Come and sit with me,”

  


The teasing, Chanyeol wanted it to stop. “Stop mocking me,” he mumbled with red ears and handed over a glass of water to Baekhyun. “It’s getting late. Why aren't you sleeping yet?” he asked, quickly changing the topic.

  


“Can’t really sleep, something is bugging me,” Baekhyun whined and shifted his body to his side, head leaning on the couch, facing Chanyeol. “There is this doctor, a good friend of mine, he kept on pestering me about sharpening my skills, taking people’s pulse is one of it,” he complained.

  


_‘The doctor friend,’_ Chanyeol’s heart clenched in jealousy, just the mention of it irritated him. Should he encourage the nanny to keep talking? He hated taking about Baekhyun’s other special friend.

  


“Let me show you how to check on pulses,” Baekhyun suggested. “It’s a crucial technique that everyone should actually know of,” he smiled, opening both of his palms at Chanyeol.

  


Chanyeol’s face burned up the moment he let Baekhyun held his hands. Clearing his throat, he tried not to look at the nanny’s face. He was pretty sure that by now, his pulse would go skyrocketing high up to the moon. Baekhyun’s thumbs gingerly brushing his wrist, searching for the pulse spot, made him blush fervently. His secret crush was going to be exposed soon at this rate. He could feel his heart dropped when he noted that the smile on Baekhyun’s face vanished instantly.

  


Frowning hard, Baekhyun scooted closer to further examine Chanyeol’s pulse. With his two fingers, he carefully pressed on the pulse spot again, glancing at his phone pulse calculator to double check the result. Chewing on his bottom lip, he gazed up at Chanyeol’s face. “Your pulse, it’s faster than the normal rate,” the nanny mumbled, worry marring his face. “Are you in a lot of pressure?” he asked.

  


“No,” Chanyeol said, tugging his hand away.

  


“Here, do the same with my hands. Count my pulse, you can feel the difference between yours and mine,” Baekhyun suggested. Reaching out for Chanyeol’s hands, he smiled when their fingers touch. “Your hands are always warm like this,” he whispered, staring at their hands as he hummed in content.

  


Chanyeol’s breath hitched when Baekhyun played with his fingers. The nanny lifted his head up to look into Chanyeol’s teardrop-shaped orbs like he possessed the ability to read Chanyeol’s mind by doing just that. Every cell in his body were vibrating and colliding like heated gas particles, he felt hot all over as if he was having a high fever. He didn't know what came over him when he started doing the same to Baekhyun. He rubbed the pad of his thumb all across the nanny’s slender fingers, staring at the beautiful male adoringly.

  


Baekhyun smiled when Chanyeol pinched his fingers. “That’s not the proper way to check my pulse, Pretty,” he grinned. “Pretty?”

  


“Hmm?” Chanyeol mumbled, mind clouded as he was still focusing on playing with Baekhyun’s exquisite hands.

  


“Your house is closer to my parents’ workplace. Do you mind if I bring my little sisters here to wait for them tomorrow? Just for a little while. So my parents won't have to go all the way to their house to get them. They are going to visit my stepfather’s parents, the triplet’s grandparents,” Baekhyun smiled. A few seconds later, he started laughing out loud when Chanyeol squashed their thumbs together, challenging him into a childish thumb fight.  

  


“Win this battle and the house shall be all yours tomorrow, Byun Baekhyun,” Chanyeol spoke with his deep, throaty voice. He yelped in pain when the nanny surprisingly captured his thumb, squeezing it hard, making him the game winner.

  
  


\---

 

“Oh wow,”

  


Chanyeol gasped, mouth hanging wide opened as he stared in a daze at the view displayed ahead of him. Baekhyun was standing in front of the door with his triplet little sisters clutching tightly onto his legs. The toddlers were whining while trying to hide their adorable faces from Chanyeol. The three girls were so pretty with their long, beautiful black hair that ended at their waist. The color of their cheeks was dusty pink and it matched well with their red pouty lips. The three of them were so adorable, Chanyeol couldn't stop cooing. Their small faces resembled Baekhyun a lot. They wore matching pink colored princess gowns and the only way to tell them apart were the color of their hair ribbons.

  


“Yeah...wow. I got to hear that pretty often,” Baekhyun chuckled. “Come in now, don't be shy,” he coaxed his little sisters to get inside the house.  

  


Gently pushing all three of them into the house, Baekhyun huffed as he wiped the bead of sweats that were forming on his forehead with the back of his palm. “So, these are my three years old triplet sisters.

  


“This is Kang Se-ra,” he patted the eldest of the triplets’ head slowly. Moving his hands to rub the cheeks of the second sister, Baekhyun smiled. “This is Kang Sa-rang, and this, the smallest one is Kang Seul-gi,”

  


“Well hello there, princesses. Welcome to my humble little castle,” Chanyeol beamed. He twirled his hands gentlemanly and bowed down to serve a royalty kind of greetings to the toddlers. He couldn't stop smiling when he successfully made the cute little girls giggle at his act.

  
  


“Mochi, who is this man?” Sera asked, tugging on her big brother’s shirt. “Is he a prince?”

  


Scoffing out loud, Baekhyun rolled his eyes. “This is my boss, I told you about my work right? I’m babysitting his two sons,” Baekhyun said as he lifted Seulgi, his youngest sister up, carrying her toward the living room. The other two of his sisters were still clinging onto his pants, so Baekhyun kind of had to drag them along.

  


“You both wanna ride?” Chanyeol offered, spreading his arms open at the toddlers.

  


“Go on, it’s OK,” Baekhyun coaxed them to approach Chanyeol.

  


Smiling bashfully, they let Chanyeol carried them and walked together with their big brother. “Mochi! This is fun, I feel that I can touch the sky!” Se-ra shouted happily. The girls' laughter boomed throughout the entire apartment when Chanyeol spun them around. “We love this kind of height, awesome!”   

  


Baekhyun scoffed, side-eyeing Chanyeol and his little sisters. “What was that supposed to mean?”

  


“Thank you, Prince,” Sa-rang dan Se-ra laughed and pulled Chanyeol into a hug. They shyly kissed him on both of his cheeks.

  


“Hey, why does he get the cool name while I got Mochi,” Baekhyun complained with a pout evident in his tone, scowling at his sisters.   

  


\---

  


Baekhyun left the triplet in Chanyeol’s care while he went to the bathroom. Chanyeol sat with them in the living area, watching them play with their toys.

  


“Prince....Makeup,” Sa-rang chirped and sat in Chanyeol’s lap. Se-ra and Seul-gi joined seconds later, trying to fit themselves on their so-called Prince’s big lap.

  


Dumbly staring between Sarang’s makeup box and the toddler’s hopeful face, Chanyeol frowned. “Oh? You want me to put makeup on you?” he repeated, making sure that he didn't interpret it wrong. He didn't know about makeup too well but recalled the beautiful and posh white vanity table his beautiful, late-wife owned. He liked watching her doing makeup while she silently hummed to her favorite song.

  


Chanyeol grabbed the remarkably huge makeup case (considering the triplet’s age) before unzipping it carefully. “Oh,” he rasped, mouth forming an ‘O’. His mind went blank for a moment at the sight of various types of makeup products to choose from. “How to do this?” he asked.

  


Sa-rang giggled while picking up her favorite eyeshadow palette. Smiling wide, she handed it over to Chanyeol. “Brush,” she said, pointing at a big clutch bag inside the box.

  


“Use brush...put the color there,” Se-ra suggested while placing her small fingers on Chanyeol’s eyelids.

  


Chanyeol yelped in pain when Se-ra almost poked his eyes with her tiny forefinger. “Okay..okay, I understand,” he chuckled while picking up the biggest brush that he found in the clutch. He flinched when Sa-rang suddenly threw herself dramatically on the carpeted floor.

  


“Not that brush!” Sa-rang cried in frustration, pressing her face on the floor. “That’s for cheeks!”

  


After quickly throwing the wrong brush back inside the clutch bag, Chanyeol grabbed another brush that he assumed was for the eyes because of its small size. He sighed in relief when Sa-rang stopped crying and went back to sit on his lap, grinning cheekily up at him.

  


“Why do you remind me of your big brother so much?” he snorted.  

  


“P-Prince,” Seul-gi mumbled meekly while hugging her backpack.

  


Chanyeol, who was about to put color on Sa-rang’s eyelids stopped moving and shifted his attention toward Seul-gi. Caressing her long hair softly, he smiled. “Yes, Princess,”

  


“Braid my hair please?” Seul-gi whined. “I have my own hairband,”

  


Well, Prince Chanyeol was going to be very busy fulfilling all the princesses’ requests.

  


\---

  


“Ta-da!”

  


Chanyeol and the triplets yelled simultaneously when they saw Baekhyun. He did try his best to make Baekhyun’s little triplet sisters happy. He kept them distracted so that they didn't ask about their big brother’s whereabouts. Nobody cried so Chanyeol supposed that he did a great job. Hey, he was a great father for his two sons! Of course he knew how to treat children well.

  


“My god,” Baekhyun gasped with wide opened eyes. He sat on the floor facing Chanyeol and his little sisters. “Pfft,” He had to cover his mouth, failing miserably in muffling his laughter.

  


“What’s wrong? Why are you laughing at us?” Chanyeol pouted as he touched his hair bun, made exclusively by Sa-rang. He had to endure the pain when Sa-rang tied his short hair with her nimble little fingers. He swore he felt like she was ripping his hair off from his scalp. His eyes got watery along the whole process of making a simple hair bun.

  


Baekhyun looked at his litter sisters that were busy playing with their toys. They had the same makeups and hairstyles as Chanyeol. Placing his palm on Chanyeol’s cheek tenderly, Baekhyun shook his head lightly.“Why did you let them do this to you, Pretty?” he mumbled.

  


Chanyeol’s heart skipped a beat. Baekhyun’s hand was cold when it was pressed against the skin of his face. The nanny’s icy touches made him flinch automatically. He put his hand on top of Baekhyun’s cold one, rubbing it gently. “It’s alright. I’m having fun with them,” he smiled.

  


The sound of Chanyeol’s apartment doorbell ended Baekhyun and Chanyeol’s staring game. Baekhyun retracted his hand and Chanyeol got up from the floor to go to the door.

  


“My kids are home,” Chanyeol announced giddily. He couldn't wait to introduce them to Baekhyun’s triplet little sisters. After saying thank you to his father’s personal driver that was in charge of sending his sons home, Chanyeol rushed to pull his children into the house.

  


“Appa!” Sehun screamed, pointing at his father’s face. “What happened to your eyes!”

  


“It’s pretty right? Sa-rang did this to me,” Chanyeol smiled brightly. He struck a pose, hands on his waist while wiggling his eyebrows at his sons, waiting for compliments.  

  


“Sa-rang? But Appa, she made you look like a raccoon!” Sehun laughed. He hid behind his big brother, Jongin’s back when he heard the fast footsteps of the triplets running toward them. He pouted when they hugged his father’s bowed legs.

  


“They look like baby raccoons,” Jongin mumbled. “Woah, there are many of them!” he said, amazement written all over his feature as he stared at the triplet’s faces one by one.

   

 

“They really do look like raccoons,” Baekhyun agreed, looking alternately between Chanyeol and his little sisters.  

  


Chanyeol felt someone tugging at the hem of his shirt. He looked down and saw Sa-rang smiling back at him while raising her arms up in the air, signaling that she wanted to be carried by him. He lifted her up and kissed her cheek. “Your eyes were red and watery, you also keep rubbing it. Are you feeling sleepy, Princess?”

  


“It’s their snoozing time,” Baekhyun murmured. “They usually take a short nap before lunch,”

  


Yawning wide, Sa-rang wrapped her arms around Chanyeol’s neck and burrowed her face on his shoulder. “I’m sleepy,” she whined.

  


“Alright, let's go to sleep,” Chanyeol cooed and carried her toward his bedroom. He laughed when Se-ra and Seul-gi instantly grabbed each side of his shirt, following him.

  


“Where are you guys going?” Baekhyun frowned. He had already prepared their sleeping futon in his bedroom.   

  


“To my room. The three of them can sleep on my king sized bed,” Chanyeol suggested. “They can’t use other single beds in this house,”

  


Shaking his head, Baekhyun tried to stop Chanyeol from entering his bedroom. “They can sleep in my bedroom Chanyeol,”

  


When Baekhyun called his name, Chanyeol knew that Baekhyun was being serious about it. Through his eyes, an angry and frustrated Byun Baekhyun looked very sexy, so he decided to blatantly ignore the nanny’s request.

  


“I insist,” he said and stubbornly entered his bedroom despite all the protests by Baekhyun. His smile turned into a large grin when the nanny had to comply. Even with a pout marring his cute face, he still followed Chanyeol into his bedroom while holding on to Jongin’s and Sehun’s hands.  

  


“Appa, can we get on your bed too?” Jongin asked for permission. A small nod approval from his father made Jongin and Sehun smile. They giggled while climbing the huge bed.

  


“They have to wash their faces from all those makeups first, Chanyeol,” Baekhyun huffed. “Let's go to the bathroom,” he called the triplets and started lining all three of them sitting on the bathroom countertop. He was glad that the makeup the girls used was washable and easy to clean.

  


Chanyeol had to help Baekhyun in order to quicken the process of cleaning their faces because the girls were starting to get cranky in their sleepy state. They were seconds away from falling asleep. After wiping their faces dry, he ushered them back to his bed. Jongin and Sehun had already gone into dreamland first. “I guess they got bored while waiting for the triplet,” He chuckled and kissed their heads fondly.

  


Baekhyun smiled when the triplet fell asleep as soon as their heads touched Chanyeol’s fluffy pillows. “Follow me, raccoon Appa,” he chuckled and walked into Chanyeol’s master bathroom en suite.  

  


Chanyeol had no idea why Baekhyun was calling him to get into the bathroom together but still complied. His heart started to thump like crazy inside his ribcage, face getting hotter each growing seconds when he saw Baekhyun waiting for him inside his bathroom.

  


“The makeup can be washed with water,” Baekhyun stated.  

  


“Alright,” Chanyeol huffed as he began cleaning his face with his face wash foam. “Oh shit,” he gasped when he saw the bright pink color of the lipstick still on his mouth.”Baekhyun, is this lipstick permanent?”

  


“Let me see,” Baekhyun pulled Chanyeol to face him and ran his fingers on Chanyeol’s mouth. “You have to use makeup remover for this,” he said breathlessly, thumb still hovering on Chanyeol’s parted lips. “They must have taken my mom’s lipstick,” he chuckled.

  


Chanyeol’s heart was threatening to explode. Baekhyun’s thumb was still on his lips, grazing on his mouth gently. His expressive eyes never left Chanyeol’s, not breaking their intense eye contact. Stepping closer to Baekhyun, Chanyeol’s heart sang in joy when Baekhyun didn't try to back away.

  


“Wanna kiss your fingers, may I?” he said, smiling when he got a shy nod from the nanny. Chanyeol lightly kissed Baekhyun’s fingers that was pressing his lower lip open.

  


“Wanna hold you so bad,” he pleaded, swallowing his saliva thickly when he saw changes in Baekhyun’s facial expression, his droopy brown orbs had turned a few shades darker.

  


“Please do,” Baekhyun whispered, blushing profusely. A soft gasp escaped his lips when Chanyeol’s palms were holding his waist snugly.

  


Getting bolder, Chanyeol leaned down closer to Baekhyun’s face. Both of them burst out laughing when he accidentally rubbed their noses together. His eyes were glued on Baekhyun’s thin lips and he knew that the nanny was staring at his own too. Smacking his lips in wonder, he had always imagined that Baekhyun’s lips would taste as sweet as cherries and smooth like cotton candies. He kept on palming the side of the nanny waist as they stared at each other’s scarlet red faces.

  


“Can I kiss you, Pretty?” Baekhyun asked nervously, chewing his bottom lip.

  


Groaning in displease, Chanyeol huffed. “I was going to ask that first,” he flushed, pressing their foreheads together.

  


“Well, you are taking too long, raccoon Appa,” Baekhyun chuckled. His laughter stopped when Chanyeol kissed him, catching him off-guard.

  


Chanyeol was smiling throughout the kiss, sighing in content when their lips met. How many nights had he dreamed about doing this? Baekhyun’s delectable lips tasted sweeter than cherries and his thin lips melted in Chanyeol’s mouth, just like cotton candy. Kissing Baekhyun for real, was better than his imagination, mind-blowing indeed. They passed the first phase of kissing with ease; a gentle tug on each other’s lips followed by a harmless nibbling, just to make sure it was not a dream.

  


By now, they were both panting harshly, breaths mingling, but neither of them wanted it to stop. Chanyeol’s breath hitched when Baekhyun’s arms were on his shoulders, pulling him closer. Goosebumps spread all over his body when the nanny’s slender fingers slipped into his hair, pulling and tugging at his locks gently as he kept on kissing. Chanyeol lost it when Baekhyun licked his lips. Baekhyun’s wet muscle working through his lips spiked his pleasure, both moaned when their tongues met. Not breaking from their kiss, he lifted Baekhyun to sit on the countertop, spreading his thighs apart as he settled in between them.  

  


“Fuck, Baek,” he rasped, his deep voice muffled on Baekhyun’s wet lips. The kisses escalated to the next phase too quickly; needier and wetter. Both humming in pleasure, clouded with wants. Chanyeol’s hand were palming Baekhyun’s thick thighs. His mouth leaving the nanny’s sweet lips to kiss his ear, jaw, and neck.

  


Due to the slippery countertop surface, Baekhyun kept slipping away from Chanyeol. Growling in anger, he grabbed the nanny’s thighs to pull him back in place. The nanny accidentally knocked his neatly organize toiletries into the sink.

  


“Oops, sorry,” Baekhyun panted, smiling sheepishly with his messy hair that could even rival a thoroughly fucked pornstar’s.   

  


“I like you a lot,” Chanyeol sighed before he leaned down to kiss Baekhyun lazily, once, twice, thrice, and again. He cupped Baekhyun’s small face with his palm and slotted their lips together making the nanny whined into their squashed mouths. He wrapped his arms around Baekhyun’s slim waist, pulling him in for a tight hug. Chanyeol burrowed his nose into the juncture between Baekhyun’s neck and his broad shoulder, inhaling the peachy body scent that he liked a little bit too much.

  


“All about you is making me crazy,” he groaned. “The kiss we shared just now, it was supposed to be sweet and innocent, I’m sorry,”

  


Baekhyun chuckled, moaning when Chanyeol squeezed him tighter. “I’m everything but innocent,” he huffed and patted Chanyeol’s back.

 

Releasing Baekhyun from his embrace, Chanyeol’s face heated up when their eyes met. He let Baekhyun played with his hair as he hummed in pleasure with eyes closed. He opened his eyes when the nanny retreated his hands away.

  


“Let get out of here, I have to prepare our lunch,” Chanyeol smiled as he used his fingers to push Baekhyun’s unruly locks from covering his face. He gasped in shock when Baekhyun cupped his face and pressed their mouths together.

  


“I want to kiss you since the very first time I saw you, Pretty,” Baekhyun whispered. The confession made his face turn beet red.

  


“In that dark janitor’s closet?” asked Chanyeol, dumbfounded. He didn't have any slightest idea that Baekhyun had fallen for him earlier than he did.  

  


Baekhyun nodded, smiling brightly. “You looked so adorable that night, I had to call you Pretty and made you stay for coffee,”

  


\---

  


Chanyeol glanced at his wristwatch, pouting. It was approaching 10 PM. He knew that during weekends, Baekhyun would not be babysitting his kids. It was his off day. The nanny had gone out to meet with his own family after spending lunch with his little sisters in Chanyeol’s apartment. Smiling bashfully, Chanyeol gingerly pressed his fingers on his lips, feeling giddy. He was missing the warmth of Baekhyun’s luscious lips and his breathtaking kisses already.

  


He was on his way to tuck Sehun and Jongin to sleep when he spotted that the lights of the kid's bedroom had been switched off. Curious, he peeked into the room and smiled like a lovesick fool when he saw Baekhyun. The nanny was fast asleep with his face squashed into the pillow, one arm spread all over Sehun’s chest. Little Star’s single bed couldn't fit the two of them properly so half of Baekhyun’s body especially his legs, was jutting out from the small bed, dangling precariously. However, the uncomfortable sleeping condition certainly didn't stop him from dozing off at all, he was even softly snoring too.

  


“Appa,” Sehun whispered. “Come here and help me, I can’t move,” he whimpered, slowly wiggling his body away from Baekhyun’s arm.

  


Chuckling, Chanyeol entered the bedroom and sat on the floor, facing Baekhyun’s sleeping figure. Caressing Baekhyun’s hair, he glanced at Sehun. “What is he doing here with you?” he asked.

  


“When Nanny Bee arrived home, I was drinking water in the kitchen. Nanny Bee left us in cliffhanger again,” he huffed. “Can you believe it, Appa?! Nanny Bee fell asleep when he was in the middle of talking about how _No Face_ started eating everyone in the bathhouse!”

  


Snuggling closer, Sehun kissed the top of the nanny’s head. “I know he was tired, so I’m not mad at him. But can you please get him off me, Appa?”

  


Listening to Sehun complaining about his night with Baekhyun made Chanyeol laugh, it was hilarious. Now he knew for a fact that Baekhyun could fall asleep so effortlessly anywhere and anytime that he wanted. He kissed Baekhyun’s temple and smiled when the nanny’s face scrunched.

  


“Hey Bou, wake up,”  he whispered.

  


“Appa call Nanny Bee...Bou? That big baby in Spirited Away?” Sehun giggled. “Bou is a big, spoiled baby,” he stated.

  


_‘He’s my big baby,’_ Chanyeol thought. Grinning at his Little Star, he planted a kiss on Baekhyun’s forehead again, this time making a loud smooching sound purposefully in order to annoy Sehun and to interrupt the nanny’s deep slumber.

  


Rolling his eyes, Sehun scoffed, unimpressed with his father’s cheesy act. “How many times do you have to kiss him, Appa?”

  


“Pretty?” Baekhyun mumbled, squinting blearily at Chanyeol.

  


Chanyeol caressed the apples of Baekhyun’s cheeks fondly, smiling wide at the new-found source of his happiness. “Let's get you to sleep in your own bedroom,”

  


Baekhyun flinched when he finally realized where he was. “Sorry, sorry Little Star,” he rasped as he groggily stood up from Sehun’s bed. He had to wrap his arm around Chanyeol’s waist to support his wobbly body and pulled away when he regained the balance of his legs. “Good night,” he flushed, looking down as he walked out from the kid's bedroom.

  


Smacking his lips, Sehun tucked himself into his blanket and yawned widely. He giggled when his father rained smooches all over his cheeks. Glancing at his dazed looking nanny that was staggering his way out from his room, Sehun sighed. “He definitely is Bou, Appa,”

  
  


Chanyeol rushed to follow Baekhyun. The nanny didn't even look back, he went straight toward the direction of his bedroom. “Wait,” he said while grabbing Baekhyun’s wrist. They stopped in the middle of the hallway. Even though Chanyeol was holding his hand, the nanny still refused to spare a look at his face.

  


“Baekhyun?” Chanyeol called hesitantly, tugging the nanny closer until the nanny was facing him. Wrapping his arm around the small of Baekhyun’s back, he peered down to search the nanny’s face, seeking eye contact.

  


“Did I do something wrong? Tell me,” he asked worriedly. He assumed that Baekhyun got mad at him because they hadn’t got the chance to talk about the passionate kisses that they shared earlier today. It was an awfully busy day today, Chanyeol couldn't find time to discuss that with Baekhyun. The nanny should know that he wasn't playing when Chanyeol said that he really liked him.

  


“I’m really serious about you, Byun Baekhyun,” Chanyeol started with a firm voice.

  


Baekhyun looked up and smiled. He cupped Chanyeol’s face and tiptoed to kiss him square on his plump lips. “I know, me too,” he whispered.

  


Chanyeol sighed deeply as if all the burdens that he carried on his back was lifted off the moment he saw Baekhyun’s brilliantly smiling face. “You got me worried for a second there,” he squinted. “You can't take back what you said earlier today, about liking me too,” he pouted, chuckling when Baekhyun kissed him again.

  


“I would never do that, silly,” Baekhyun scoffed, smacking Chanyeol’s shoulders. “Pretty, am I just going to be one of your flings?” he asked timidly, worrying his bottom lips as he stared imploringly into Chanyeol’s almond-shaped orbs.

  


Chanyeol audibly smooched Baekhyun’s forehead, then moving down to nuzzle their noses together. He then captured Baekhyun’s lips, again and again, kissing him hungrily like he couldn’t get enough of it, until both had to pull away, gasping for air. “Definitely not a fling, I’m totally crazy about you,” he said hoarsely.

  


Pressing his forehead on Chanyeol’s chin, Baekhyun sighed. “Chanyeol, listen well,” he whimpered, mind still hazy because of the incessant amount of kisses he got from Chanyeol.

  


“I’m really new to this whole dating thing. I’ve never experienced dating properly before. In the past, I was only someone’s secret lover. For him, I brought nothing but embarrassment if our relationship was to be exposed to the world,” Baekhyun sniffled. “So I’m asking for your patience. I will make many mistakes until I can eventually grasp this whole dating concept. I hope you would understand,”

  


Chanyeol smiled and cupped Baekhyun’s face, pecking his lips so hard causing the nanny to yelp in pain. “There are no rules or proper ways on how to date people, idiot. Well, at least for me,” he laughed at Baekhyun's innocence.

  


“Just be yourself and love me back," he added.

  


"T-that's it?" Baekhyun frowned, blinking up at Chanyeol. "No specific permitted time to call? No certain rules if I want to see you because I miss you? Really?"

  


"Yes, cheap peach," Chanyeol said as he pulled Baekhyun snugly into his arms, enveloping the latter tightly. "I'm sorry that you have to undergo something horrible like that," he said, clenching his teeth in anger upon the remembrance of Baekhyun’s dreadful previous dating experience.

  


"Park Chanyeol is exclusively yours, you can do anything you want with me, no restrictions, no rules to follow," he hummed when Baekhyun pulled him into his hug, the nanny's hot breath lingering on the crook of his neck made him sigh in content. Chanyeol's heart bloomed with pride. To have someone incredible like Byun Baekhyun in his life, it’s a tremendous gift and he promised to himself that he would cherish him in the best ways he could.

  


"You are mine. Mine alone," Baekhyun sniffled, pressing his face further on Chanyeol's neck.

  


Caressing the back of Baekhyun's head with his palm, Chanyeol kissed the side of his temple where his mole was. “Exclusively yours,” he rasped.

  


"That's official, you can't take it back," Baekhyun flushed. “It’s getting late, we should sleep,” he mumbled while palming Chanyeol’s back and sneaking a soft kiss on his cheek. “Good night, Pretty,”

  


Chanyeol watched Baekhyun’s retreating back, sighing. He didn't have the chance to tell him about his position in the company yet. Everything was doing great, way better than he expected. It all happened too fast, in two weeks span, he found a wonderful nanny for his kids and a sweet lover for his empty, lonely soul. He didn't want to jinx it.

  


Making sure that Baekhyun had already walked into his own bedroom, he took a deep breath as he stood still in the dark hallway, thinking hard.

  


_‘Baekhyun, I’m your boss,’_ he cringed and shook his head. Clearing his throat, he tried again.

  


_‘Hi, I’m the new Head of Marketing Department, nice to meet you?’_ he grinned, waving his hand awkwardly. Mentally cursing at his dumbness, he massaged his temple, groaning in displease. _‘My gosh, how do I do this?’_

  


“Pretty? Are you alright?” Baekhyun yawned with his fingers plastered all over his forehead, hiding his barely opened eyes.

  


“Huh?” Chanyeol flinched when he saw Baekhyun’s head poking out from his bedroom. How long did he saw him acting like a fool?

  


“Go to sleep, I’m thinking about my schedule tomorrow,” he smiled, waving his hand dismissively at Baekhyun. He was glad that Baekhyun didn't prod any further. Chanyeol finally could breathe properly at the sound of the nanny’s door being closed.

  


Tomorrow, tomorrow Chanyeol would really tell him the truth.

  


\---

  


Chanyeol walked into the kitchen, smiling wide as he took his time to listen to the white noises that his house was producing in the morning. First was the sound of the tumble dryer, the second was the sound of his coffee brewing machine and last but not least, the new addition to his list of favorite morning white noises, Baekhyun humming to his favorite song. Chanyeol grinned, now his wonderful morning was complete.  

  


His mouth went dry as he sneaked a peek at Baekhyun’s slender neck. Oh how he would love to burrow his face there, he would willingly do nothing but that forever. The nanny was already in his work attires, seemingly getting ready to work but his dress shirt buttons were left undone. Chanyeol could see the nanny’s hard and curvy chest.

  


“Hugging you,” He announced as he approached Baekhyun from the back, embracing him gently. “Morning, Bou,” he said while burrowing his face on the crook of the nanny’s neck. His heart felt full and contented. A kiss on the side of his cheek from Baekhyun made him so happy that he was sure he could smile for the entire day.

  


“Morning, Pretty. You smell very good,” Baekhyun praised and continued to hum to his song.

 

Chanyeol closed his eyes as he swayed their glued bodies together. “My beautiful white noises,” he said, voice muffled on Baekhyun’s broad shoulder. “What is this song? You have been humming to the same song, since forever,” he asked, curious about it.

  


“Teach me how to sing it too so we can hum it together every morning,” he suggested. He rested his chin on Baekhyun’s shoulder when the nanny started to sing.

  


_A dream is a wish your heart makes_

_When you're fast asleep_

_In dreams, you will lose your heartaches_

_Whatever you wish for, you keep_

 

_Have faith in your dreams and someday_

_Your rainbow will come smiling through_

_No matter how your heart is grieving_

_If you keep on believing_

_The dream that you wish will come true_

  


Baekhyun stopped singing and shifted his body to face Chanyeol. “And here is the part where we have to dance like Cinderella!” he chirped happily, ushering Chanyeol to dance along. They were laughing hysterically as Chanyeol kept twirling Baekhyun to dance.

  


“Shit, I feel dizzy, we should stop,” Baekhyun panted. He tiptoed to kiss Chanyeol square on his mouth.

  


“You sing so beautifully, I never want it to stop,” Chanyeol complimented, humming in content. “Is that a Cinderella song?”

  


Baekhyun wrapped his arms around Chanyeol’s waist, resting his cheek on the man’s sturdy chest. “Yeah, I grew up watching Cinderella, you know, that classic cartoon version in 2D? My mother loved that song so much. She would sing it to me as a lullaby every night when she tucked me to sleep,”

  


“Send me the song’s video and I’ll start practicing,” Chanyeol beamed.

  


“I have so many sweet memories about the song. That song meant so much for me,” Baekhyun murmured. “You know Gusgus? One of Cinderella’s mice friend? The chubby one,” he chuckled. “My late father called me his Gusgus because I was a chubby kid,” he huffed in mock anger.

  


Cupping Baekhyun’s cheeks with his palms, Chanyeol smiled and kissed Baekhyun’s button nose. “I’m sure your father and mother would be extremely proud of you,”

  


“Do you think so?” Baekhyun mumbled, searching for Chanyeol’s eyes.

  


“You are the best, Byun Baekhyun,” Chanyeol said as he leaned down to capture Baekhyun’s parted lips. Baekhyun’s soft gasps, panting for air were making his brain went overdrive. Chanyeol knew the filthy, wet lip-locking session really had to stop now before things escalated into more but how he could do so as his rational thoughts were instantly thrown out of the window, when Baekhyun’s pretty fingers slipped inside his unkempt bed locks, tugging him closer and demanding for more.

  


“Jongin! Appa has turned into a Zombie! He is eating Nanny Bee!” Sehun screamed in utter horror.

  


\---

  


Baekhyun was about to shove his sling bag into one of the drawers of his office desk when one of his co-workers glided his chair toward him. He chuckled when their chairs collided. Decided not to entertain his fellow acquaintance’s playful antiques so early in the morning, he started switching on his computer while his eyes scanned through the stack of documents on his table.

  


“Baek...Baek,”

  


“Yes, Mr. Minho,” The intern scoffed. The eagerness of his workmate to share his story made Baekhyun shook his head. Minho, one of the senior clerks in the Marketing Department surely liked talking regardless of the time, even if it was too early in the morning.

  


“The new boss will be arriving soon,” he whispered, slowly backing his chair away to his designated work cubicle.

  


“Huh? Who? When?” Baekhyun questioned, groaning in frustration when he realized that he was now talking alone. Minho was back at his workstation, leaving him hanging.  

  
  


Two of the executive clerks from Division A and Division B, Mr. Lee and Mr. Kang stomped inside the department with flaring noses. Both entered their offices in anger, slamming their doors shut. The two of them had been so competitive in obtaining the Head of Department’s post. They must be extremely frustrated right now.

  


Baekhyun sighed, office’s politic sucked. He would never understand it. All he knew was that one must be very strong to withstand the cruelty of people that came from any directions, no matter what job position they were at.

  


“The company didn’t pay you to daydream, intern Byun Baekhyun,” Mr. Kim, the chief clerk snickered while he passed through Baekhyun’s work cubicle.  

  


“S-sorry,” Baekhyun apologized, bowing lightly. He peeked at the two empty cubicles in front of him and frowned. After making sure that Mr. Kim was no longer prying at his desk anymore, Baekhyun scooted closer to Minho. “Where were Kibum and Taemin?”

  


“They had to do some surveys at the mall,” Minho answered, yawning widely. “Can you make me a coffee? Your coffee always tastes the best,” he grinned.

 

Baekhyun was about to get up from his chair when a soft tap on his table stopped him. Lifting his head up, he saw Mrs. Jang Mi, the Head Secretary of the Marketing Department smiling sweetly at him. “Yes madam, do you crave for anything this morning? I’ll get it for you,” he beamed at the eight-months pregnant woman.

  


Shaking his head, Jang Mi patted Baekhyun’s cheek. “The CEO wanted to see you,”

  


\---

 

Baekhyun fidgeted inside the elevator, nimble fingers playing with his ID. He could hear his own heartbeats, they were loud and clear blaring beside his ear. Every time CEO Park requested to meet him at his office, the intern couldn’t help but feel nervous. Mr. Park that he knew back then at the hospital was cool and funny but the CEO Mr. Park, he was still the same cool and funny man yet somehow scarier. He gulped down his saliva thickly when the elevator dinged open, indicating that he had reached the topmost floor, the CEO’s office. Inhaling and exhaling deeply, he pushed the large mahogany door open, revealing a completely cheerful CEO inside.  

  


“Hello, sunshine,” CEO Park chirped, enveloping Baekhyun into his fatherly embrace. Pulling away, he stared at Baekhyun’s face, grinning. “How are you, son?”

  


Baekhyun smiled sheepishly, the endearment made him blush. CEO Park was serious about treating him like his own son. Even when they were in his office with different positions, the CEO was still the warmest person ever. “I’m fine, how are you? Have you already taken your medicine this morning?” he squinted, eyeing the CEO’s suit pocket inquisitively. “Let me see your medicine box,” he demanded, extending his palms.

  


The CEO fished out his medicine box and placed it on Baekhyun’s hand, pouting childishly despite his age. “Not yet, I’m busy,” he said.

  


“Sit down, I’ll go get you a glass of water,” Baekhyun sighed and walked toward the modest-sized built-in private bar at the corner of the room. He had been to the CEO’s office so many times, thus he was able to navigate his way around the spacious room so smoothly, very well aware of the arrangements inside the room. After grabbing a glass of lukewarm water, he sat beside the CEO and handed him back his medicine box.

  


“Take your meds, please,” he smiled, carefully watching the CEO swallowed his pills and handed him some tissue to wipe his mouth. They chatted for a while, it was the CEO who mostly did all the talking because the old man really liked to talk about his grandsons that he called chick and teddy.

  


Their attention was suddenly diverted toward the CEO’s office door when they heard some soft knocks. Mr. Jin Wook, the CEO’s secretary walked in with a smile on his face. “Your son is here,” he announced.

  


“Son?” Baekhyun frowned as he fixed his sitting position, staring at the door in confusion.

  


The CEO patted Baekhyun’s back, beaming happily. “Today’s my son’s first day as the Head of the Marketing Department. Your new boss! Come in, Chanyeol,”

  


Baekhyun’s heart skipped a beat. _‘Chanyeol,’_ the name rolled off easily on his tongue. He only knew one person named Chanyeol, and that man was his current lover. He knew that Chanyeol would also start working today, the man was another intern like him. Wait, he assumed Chanyeol was an intern and the man never said anything about it. His heart was thumping widely inside his ribcage and it’s getting too painful that he had to rub his chest to calm it down.

  


He felt that his soul left his body the moment Chanyeol walked inside the room. The image that he saw was utterly shocking, making him froze in his seat, he couldn’t feel his legs. Chanyeol looked dashing in his expensive dark blue suit with pushed back hair, looking at him with a serious face. This male was not his boyfriend. Intern Chanyeol that he knew always looked pretty in his messy locks, wearing his baggy hoodie, a short pants, and flip flops.

  


“Are you alright, son? Your face is pale,” CEO Park mumbled worriedly as he rubbed Baekhyun’s back.

  


Baekhyun was holding his breath the entire time his eyes locked with Chanyeol’s. Lie, betrayal, stupidity, and waves of strong, sad emotions washed all over his body making his stomach churned. The nauseousness that he felt bubbling up in his throat made him almost vomit out the breakfast that he ate this morning. He wanted to scream, he was really angry at Chanyeol, but even more so toward himself. How could he be so gullible like this?  He liked Chanyeol so much that he didn’t bother to figure out more about him. He just blindly accepted the latter as his lover.

  


“I-I guess my boss is here, I’ll better get to work,” he uttered bitterly.

  


“No!” The son and father chorused, the same timing made both of them gasp in shock as they stared at each other’s surprised faces.  

  


Baekhyun yelped in panic when Chanyeol came sliding toward him. The Head of the Marketing Department’s knees were grazing the carpeted floor as he kneeled down in front of Baekhyun. The intern’s droopy eyes were blown wide like saucers, his jaw left hanging too as he stared down at Chanyeol that was already clutching his hands tight.

  


“My weak heart,” CEO Park whined, slumping his back on the sofa while massaging the left side of his chest. His son just slid in front of him to get to Baekhyun, like a stunt man. He never knew that his son had the agility to glide as such. Desperate matters really called for desperate measures huh.   

  


“Fuck! Father, are you alright?” Chanyeol gasped, panting hard. The stunt that he pulled seconds ago took his breath away. An abrupt slap at the back of his head from his father made him yelp in pain.

  


“Language,” The CEO scolded, glaring at his son. “Can either of you explain what the hell is going on here? I certainly didn’t get any memo beforehand,” he chided.

  


Baekhyun’s shoulders slumped, cowering away from the angry CEO. He never saw CEO Park getting mad before. He gasped in trepidation when Chanyeol kissed his hands. He did try to pull away but failed miserably.

  


“Father, Baekhyun is my kid’s new nanny. The lover that I told you about,” Chanyeol said solemnly.

  


“Oh, the special one? The one that you have been gushing about how wonderful he is, nonstop for weeks?” The CEO nodded. “But I don’t think you are his special one anymore?” he scoffed, pointing at Baekhyun.

  


Baekhyun had to bite his bottom lip to prevent himself from bursting out laughing. He was angry, sure. He was so mad right now but the comical act of the Park’s duo, the father and son were truly hilarious. They should have performed a comedy skit together.  

  


Sighing deeply, the CEO pushed his son away as he tried to get up from the leather sofa. He strolled toward his mini bar and grabbed a bottle of his favorite expensive liquor. “I need to drink, settle this thing between the two of you quickly. I’ll be inside my private room,”

  


“One glass only!” Chanyeol and Baekhyun shouted in sync. Both scrambled toward the alarmed CEO.

  


Chanyeol grabbed the liquor bottle from his father’s grasp while Baekhyun got him an empty glass. He filled the empty glass with the liquor in his hand before handing it over to his old man.

  


“Gessh, alright, only one shot, calm the fuck down,” The CEO huffed, scowling at his son and Baekhyun. “Now I have two sons nagging at me, my life is great!” he whined and walked into his private room, however, the broad smile he’s wearing on his face when he sauntered away betrayed his efforts in attempting to look upset.

  


“Sorry about my father’s profane choices of words, sometimes he did sound more like a mafia gang leader rather than the CEO of LOEY Mall,” Chanyeol cringed. “He rarely cursed in front of people though, except me, his son. I guess he’s gotten really comfortable with you too,” Chanyeol smiled, staring at Baekhyun fondly.

  


“I’ve got to go,” Baekhyun said, breaking their locked gazes while stepping back from Chanyeol.

  


“Please, please hear me out. Please listen to what I’m going to say first. Please give me a chance, Baekhyun,” Chanyeol begged pleadingly, trailing after Baekhyun.

  


Baekhyun’s heart melted, he wanted to stay mad at Chanyeol but he remembered how he fell in love with the tall man in the first place. Park Chanyeol was a very considerate person. Despite the difference in their sizes, in which Chanyeol could easily manhandle him, forcing him to obey, yet he never did, not even once using it to his advantage. His kisses, his touches were always so attentive and thoughtful. He always asked or informed Baekhyun first, gaining permission for it beforehand and that became his unconscious habit, hence, even when he was already his lover, the asking never stop. He stopped walking, turning his heels back toward Chanyeol.

  


“Five minutes,” he grumbled, looking away. But he silently admitted that was the very first time he saw Chanyeol’s trembling hands, tucked meekly to his sides making Baekhyun lost his resolves to be stern and unforgiving. “Explain fast, the clock is ticking,” he added.

  


Baekhyun took Chanyeol’s shaking hands and placed them on his face. Chanyeol’s warm palms never failed in making him sigh contentedly. “Chanyeol, look into my eyes and tell me the reason for you to hide all of these from me,” he sniffled. “Were there any more lies? Perhaps, your feeling for me is a lie too?”

  


“Don't say that,” Chanyeol grumbled. “I just didn't tell you about my job and the fact that I am the CEO’s son, that’s all,”

  


“But why? Are you having so much fun lying to me?” Baekhyun growled in anger. He expected Chanyeol to pull his face, squashing his cheeks hard to make him understand. He anticipated the pain, but it never came. Chanyeol's palms were still on his cheeks, cradling his face gently,

  


“Every second that I spent lying to you were hell, don't you ever dare say that I’ve been enjoying it. Hurting you, hurt me too,” Chanyeol started. “This feeling that I have for you is real. I’m so in love with you, can’t you see it, Baek? The one that kissed you, touched you, danced with you and laughed along with you this whole week was me, Park Chanyeol, your Pretty,” he said with a raspy voice.  

  


“When we first met, if I told you that I’m the CEO son, would you treat me the way you treated intern Chanyeol?” Chanyeol asked. “Answer me honestly, Byun Baekhyun,”

  


“No,” Baekhyun replied curtly.

  


“I couldn’t stop myself from falling in love with you as our relationship progressed. I’ve been crushing on you so hard. I desperately wanted to keep you by my side. When you kept assuming that I was your fellow intern, I couldn't deny it. How could? I was so terrified that if I admitted the truth, I would lose you,” said Chanyeol in a sad voice.

  


“I need some time to think about all of these,” Baekhyun sighed, looking down at his shoes. “Can you do me a favor? Please hide the fact that we know each other,” his heart shrunk when Chanyeol’s warm palms were no longer caressing his face. His lover was seemingly upset with his request.

  


“I’m not making you my secret lover,” Chanyeol hissed. “Being with you means everything to me. I want to let everyone know about you, us. Our relationship is not going to be a secret, Byun Baekhyun,” he stated sternly.

  


“If you still want this relationship to work, then do as I said, Park Chanyeol,” Baekhyun snickered, already turning his heels toward the door.

 

\---

  


“My desk is right in front of his office, how great” Baekhyun huffed in pure sarcasm, glaring at Chanyeol’s office door. Chanyeol was doing a great job in pretending that they had never met before, let alone knew each other. The spark that he always saw in Chanyeol’s pretty orbs every time their eyes met was no longer there when they spoke just now, surrounded by everybody in the office. He had to admit, being ignored by Chanyeol, it hurt. He was glad that his torturous office hours ended at noon, so he didn't have to stay any longer. He already missed the way Chanyeol’s eyes would crinkle every time the handsome man was talking to him excitedly like a giant puppy. He would love to see that smile back.

  


_‘Exclusively yours,’_ Baekhyun remembered each spoken words.

  


A group of people was laughing out loud as they walked out from Chanyeol’s office, Baekhyun used the opportunity to quickly glanced at the ajar door. His heart clenched when he caught a glimpse of Chanyeol smiling wide at his fellow workmates. With a heavy heart, he picked his sling bag and went home.

  


\---

  


At home, they still talked in front of the kids but when the two little boys were not around, Baekhyun avoided Chanyeol like a plague. He went to sleep as early as the kids. Chanyeol really gave him the time and space as per his request. The latter never confronted him nor pushed him to talk. Baekhyun began to miss him, a lot.

  


A week passed by relatively quick, soon enough it was already Friday. Baekhyun was having a hard time avoiding Chanyeol. His heart screamed for his attention, he wanted to kiss the pout on Chanyeol’s lips so badly when the latter sulked because things didn't go according to his plans at the office. Park Chanyeol was a good looking and extremely sweet person. The combination of those traits made him popular overnight. He could even be their Mall’s spoke person if he wanted to. Baekhyun’s heart bloomed with pride when he kept hearing people talking good things about the CEO’s son. He realized that it had been so long since he called the male _‘Pretty’._

  
  


“I need some coffee,” Baekhyun mumbled, already getting up to get himself some snacks from the pantry.

  


His breath hitched the moment he saw Chanyeol. The Head of Marketing Department was standing back facing him, staring at the huge office window while holding his coffee cup. He assumed that Chanyeol was so lost in his thoughts because the guy didn't seem to notice his footsteps entering the pantry.

  


“Baekhyun!”

  


The intern flinched as he waved back at his friend that was passing by the pantry. By the time he looked back, Chanyeol was already staring at him. He didn't say anything but his eyes were deliberately observing Baekhyun’s every move. Clearing his throat, Baekhyun tried to act nonchalant as if Chanyeol’s eyes didn't make him feel utterly small and vulnerable, like prey being targeted by its predator. He felt like all the air were knocked out of his lungs when their eyes eventually met.

  


“Pretty,” he blurted, cheeks puffed when Chanyeol leaned closer to whisper into his ear. The pleasant scent of Chanyeol’s expensive perfume hit his nose, making his mouth dry. Baekhyun had to hold his breath.

  


“It has been so long….since I heard that,” Chanyeol murmured. “I miss it,” he said. “I tried so hard for the past few days to survive without hearing it. Your morning humming was gone too, I really miss you,”

  


Baekhyun’s face was burning when their gazes locked. “Pretty,” he mumbled, almost whining as he stared at the veins on Chanyeol’s hand. He missed the taller’s gentle touches.

  


“If you still want our relationship to be a secret, then I will agree. I’m not going to fight with you anymore,” Chanyeol sighed.

  


The conversation between them ended abruptly when someone entered the pantry. Baekhyun hadn’t managed to give his answer yet but Chanyeol already looked defeated as he rushed outside. His lover’s sullen face, when he’s exiting the pantry, broke his heart.

 

\---

  


“You are going to cover for Jang Mi for a while, Mr. Chanyeol said so,” Mr. Kim, the chief clerk briefly said to Baekhyun before he walked back to his own cubicle.

  


“Madam Jang Mi? But why?” Baekhyun asked, groaning in protest. _‘Why do I have to work directly under him? Is he giving me some kind of privileges because of our relationship?’_

  
  


The intern’s nose flared in anger as he stomped right into Chanyeol’s office room, ignoring other workers’ calls for his name. Pushing the door open, he gasped in shock when he saw that Chanyeol was in the middle of a discussion with their division managers. The intern gulped, too frozen to move. Why was he acting totally stupid and careless to mindlessly barge into Chanyeol’s office just like that, ignoring the protocols he had to follow involving proper interaction with their Head of Department. He was too embarrassed being stared by the other three occupants of the room.  

  


“Mr. Kang and Mr. Lee, please wait for me at the CEO’s office,” Chanyeol instructed, getting up at the same time with the managers. They walked together to exit the door but Chanyeol stopped in front of Baekhyun.  

  


“Yes, Baekhyun?” Chanyeol asked with knitted eyebrows, fingers busy fixing his suit.

  


Baekhyun’s heart dropped, Chanyeol sounded so cold and distant toward him. “W-why do I have to cover for Jang Mi? Your secretary?”

  


“Jang Mi is not in good condition to work, her feet will get so swollen early in the morning. Until she took her official maternity leave next week, you are going to help her. I already talked with our chief clerk regarding the matter. The other clerks are not available at the moment, that’s why it left only you, this department’s intern,” Chanyeol explained.

  


“Do you really think that I will purposely take you as my secretary’s temporary replacement? Do I look like someone who will misuse my power just for you?” he sighed.

  


“I’ve tried my best to follow what you want, Byun Baekhyun. Not being able to treat you like my lover is really a hard thing to do. All I want to do is to kiss you breathless every time we meet, especially right now,” Chanyeol huffed. “If you keep coming to me as if you own me like this, sooner or later, our secret will be exposed, you don't want that to happen right?”

  


Baekhyun nipped his bottom lip, shaking his head lightly.  

  


“You are not special, Byun Baekhyun,” Chanyeol teased.

  


“Are you still...exclusively mine?” Baekhyun whispered eyes started brimming with tears. Chanyeol’s usual teasing words cut him deeply this time.

  


“I’m still yours, cheap peach,” Chanyeol quickly replied while wiping the telltale of Baekhyun’s tears that were beginning to roll down on his pink cheeks.    

  


A knock on Chanyeol’s office door cut off their staring game. Jang Mi peeked into the room, smiling at them. “CEO Park wishes to see you, sir,”

 

\---

 

It was another awkward night, Chanyeol played with his sons in the living room while Baekhyun kept himself cooped up inside his own room after having their dinner. He sighed as he stared at Baekhyun’s closed bedroom door. Ever since Baekhyun got angry at him for lying and they started to bicker about keeping their relationship secret at the office, everything fell apart. Baekhyun avoided him in the office and it continued even when they were in the house too. Chanyeol missed him a lot. The kids were not affected because the nanny was doing a great job in taking care of them. Yet Chanyeol was so sure that Baekhyun was doing a lousy job as a lover for neglecting their lonely father.

  


_“You and Baekhyun are like fire and fire, you both mirror each other, you are going to be bickering a lot if you decided to date him,”_

  


Jongdae’s words kept replaying inside Chanyeol’s mind. _‘I’m going to show them that we are going to be fine together. We will continue to bicker probably just because we both love doing it,’_ Chanyeol smiled at the thought of it.

  


“Appa, why are you smiling alone while staring at that corner? Did you see a ghost?” Jongin shrieked while jumping on the couch to snuggle closer to his father.

  


Chuckling, Chanyeol kissed Jongin’s head. “I‘m thinking about work,”

  


Sehun entered the living room while pulling his nanny behind him. “Sit here, Nanny Bee,” he instructed and smiled when Baekhyun followed his instructions well.

 

Chanyeol couldn't stay still, his entire body suddenly felt hot. His face was burning as soon as his eyes landed on Baekhyun. He started blushing like mad and kept glancing to his side. Baekhyun looked calm and comfortable as he propped his back against the couch, grinning at the kids.

  


Jongin stood up from the sofa to stand beside Sehun. He clapped his hands to garner their attention. “Appa, you know that me and Sehun are going to enter that talent show in school right?”

  


The father nodded, eyes fixed on his children, interested to find out about their performance. “Your teacher told me that you both have been practicing hard together this whole week,”

  


“Yeah! We want to perform in front of our parents first before everybody else,” Sehun chirped happily.

  


_‘Their parents,’_ Chanyeol’s breath hitched, glancing at Baekhyun.

  


“Appa and Nanny Bee are our parents, right? Grandpa Park said sometimes parents kiss in front of their kids. I saw Appa kissing Nanny Bee, so you both are our parents right?” Sehun stated, blinking innocently. “But why I didn’t see Appa kissing Nanny Bee anymore? Does Appa not love him anymore?” he began sniffling, tugging on Jongin’s shirt.

  


“A-are you going to get a divorce?” Jongin whined, shoulders slumped while patting Sehun’s hand that was wrapped around his waist, pulling him in for a hug.

  


“D-divorce?” Chanyeol stammered, mind busy thinking of ways to comfort his upset sons.

  


“Your Appa feels shy if he kisses me in front of his kids,” Baekhyun smiled and scooted closer toward Chanyeol. He snuggled closer, pressing his back on Chanyeol’s side. “Give me your hands,” he whispered and intertwined their fingers together before pulling Chanyeol’s arms to wrap them around his waist. “Your heartbeats are going crazy. Breath, Pretty,” he hummed, pressing his body harder onto Chanyeol’s.

  


“How am I supposed to breathe with you so close like this, cheap peach?” he said with a low voice, making sure that only Baekhyun heard him.

  


“Appa, can you pull yourself together?” Jongin scoffed as he clapped his hands to regain his father’s attention. “You see Hunnie, this is exactly why they can’t sit so close to each other, they will lose focus,” he grumbled, rolling his eyes at his giggling little brother.

  


“We are going to change our clothes in our room, Just stay here and don't peek, alright?” Sehun laughed while hauling his whiny big brother into their bedroom.

  


Chanyeol made sure that the children were already inside their room before he pressed his nose on Baekhyun’s broad shoulder. His heart sang in joy when the nanny squeezed his hands tightly, he took that as a positive response. “Am I finally forgiven now?” he asked carefully, lips hovering on the shell of Baekhyun’s ear.

  


“Absolutely forgiven,” Baekhyun answered, pulling Chanyeol’s arms snug against his body.

  


“So may I kiss you and hug you and squeeze you?” he groaned, lifting Baekhyun up to make the smaller sit on his lap and burrowed his face into the crook of Baekhyun’s neck. “Wanna bite you too, cause you smell so good, cheap peach,”

  


“All in one?” Baekhyun guffawed at Chanyeol’s remark. “Sure, Pretty. Go on, you can have me, Bon Appetit,”    

  


At that, Chanyeol started kissing and nibbling the soft skin of his lover’s neck hungrily.“Bon Appetit my foot, the kids are coming out of their room any time now,”  he groaned in displease.

  


Baekhyun yelped in pain when Chanyeol sucked a deep red mark on his neck on purpose.

  


\---

  


"Here, these are for our boss to sign," Jang Mi placed a stack of folders in Baekhyun's arms.

 

Obeying Jang Mi’s order, Baekhyun entered Chanyeol’s office after knocking on the door twice. “Morning, Mr. Chanyeol,” he smiled while placing the documents on Chanyeol’s table.

  


"Morning, cheap peach," Chanyeol replied, chuckling at the way Baekhyun was scowling at him. They had agreed not to use Mr. Park because calling Chanyeol by the same name as his father sounded awfully wrong in so many ways. Dropping his pen onto the table, the taller wiggled his eyebrows mischievously as he tucked his hands underneath his chin, gleefully staring up at his lover’s face.

  


“Are you trying to act professional with me?” he snorted. “Adorable, very adorable indeed. But I must remind you that we just kissed passionately right before I sent you to the office. The taste of your morning coffee is still lingering in my mouth,”

  


“Oh shush,” Baekhyun blushed, placing a digit on his lips as a warning. “Stop it,” he grumbled, glancing at the direction of Chanyeol’s office door.

  


Chanyeol propped his back against his chair and crossed his arms over his chest, smirking at his lover. "Adamant about hiding about us but at the same time shamelessly flaunting my mark to the world. Cheap peach, you really are making me flattered," he beamed, pointing at the conspicuous love bite on Baekhyun’s slender neck.

  


Quickly covering the mark with his palm, Baekhyun gasped, staring at Chanyeol with wide eyes. “Shit, I forgot about this,” he bowed politely before rushing forward to kiss Chanyeol's lips. Pulling away, he winked. “Mr. Chanyeol looks so handsome today that I just need to kiss him,”

  


A simple peck on his lips made Chanyeol’s entire face burn, frozen on his chair. He dumbfoundedly stared at Baekhyun’s retreating back and finally got his tongue back when the intern made an annoying kissy face at him just before exiting his office room. “H-hey, come back here! How dare you kiss your boss like that!”

 

\---

  


Chanyeol knew that Baekhyun was the one being left to clean the meeting room after their department’s meeting. Glancing at his wristwatch, he smiled when he realized that he still got some free time to spare before his next scheduled appointment, so he decided to wait for the intern. Maybe they could walk to their department floor together. It was lunchtime anyway, the department hallway was usually void of employees during this period.

  


“You want to know the latest office gossip, Mr. Chanyeol?” Baekhyun squinted. His right hand was clutching the trash bag while his other hand was hugging a stack of folders from the meeting prior.

  


Chanyeol gave Baekhyun stink eyes, scoffing out loud. “I should add more work for you, cheap peach. You apparently have so many leisure time to poke your pretty little nose into other people’s business,”

  


“Mr. Chanyeol, please call me Baek...Hyun,” he mouthed, mouth jutting out to pronounce each syllable as clearly as he could. “At the office, I’m intern Byun Baekhyun. Not your cheap peach,” he huffed, blowing his long fringes due to frustration.

  


“Alright...Alright, I’m sorry, Intern Baekhyun,” Chanyeol smiled. “Carry on with your gossip, I would love to hear it,” he cooed as they started walking together toward their department office. He kept silent while he listened to Baekhyun’s incessant chatters with a big grin on his face.  

  


“Cheap peach?” Chanyeol called softly. Baekhyun’s spontaneous reaction, whipping his head toward him made him laugh heartily. “You should not be responding to my call so quickly like that, it’s gonna look too obvious,” he smirked.

  


“Then stop calling me with that name,” Baekhyun huffed, blushing profusely.

  


“You simply can't resist answering to my calls,” Chanyeol whispered as he wrapped his arms around Baekhyun’s waist to pull him closer before kissing his lover’s forehead. He gasped in surprise when Baekhyun tiptoed to smack their lips together.   

 

“Bold of you to assume that I could do that when you are looking so hot like this, Pretty,” Baekhyun cooed and dashed away rapidly from Chanyeol when the balls of his feet touch the floor. “Go back to work. I’ll see you at home,” he whisper-screamed before rushing back toward his office.

  


\---

 

“Make sure to kill them! Kill the entire family!” Mr. Park shouted before slamming his palms on his worktable, muttering string of curses beneath his breath.

  


Baekhyun was about to push the door open but halted his action when he heard Mr. Park’s angry voice booming out from his room. He cringed and pondered in front of the half-opened door, glancing at the CEO’s secretary that was giggling at his situation.

  


“Mr. Park is expecting you, Mr. Baekhyun,” The secretary said, ushering Baekhyun to walk into the office.

  


“Sunshine,” Mr. Park grinned, his gloomy face turned bright instantly when he saw Baekhyun. “Come in, come in,”

  


“Who are you planning to kill, Mr. Park? No offense, but you do sound like a mafia lord,” he chuckled and sat across the CEO at his desk.

  


“I found mice inside my wine cellar last night! So I ordered them to be captured and killed,” The CEO huffed in rage. He then smiled and patted Baekhyun’s hand. “So, will you be going to the company’s gala next Sunday with my son? As his partner?”

 

Taken aback with the question, Baekhyun choked on his saliva, coughing frantically. Covering his mouth with his palms, he shook his head. “No, of course not. We agreed to keep our relationship a secret, it’s better that way,” he mumbled.

  


“Aah, so now it clicks,” Mr. Park frowned. “No wonder he has been moping about it to his mom last week,”

  


"Chanyeol was upset?” Baekhyun frowned.

  


Chuckling, Mr. Park sighed. “My one and only son is still a baby when he is with his mother. I guess he was upset because you want to keep your relationship a secret,” he continued. “Look here, Baekhyun. My son adored you too much. The reason he falls for you is probably because of your personality. You are a very brave and confident man. Maybe he never thought that someone like you will insist on hiding your relationship,”

  


“The big gala was held to introduce my son,” he smiled. “That night, Chanyeol will be meeting so many available candidates but he chooses to bring you. That means he is serious about you,” the CEO ruffled Baekhyun’s hair. “There’s no use for me talking about that. He already said that he will be going together with his sons,”

  


\---

  


It was Saturday morning. Chanyeol’s household started to get so hectic with five kids running around the house. Jongin and Sehun were playing with Baekhyun’s triplet sisters that arrived earlier that morning. All of them were still dressed in their pajamas. He smiled when he saw Baekhyun busily collecting their toys that were scattered messily all over the floor.

 

Chanyeol strolled toward his lover and grabbed his hand, pulling him in for a hug. He laughed when Baekhyun struggled to squirm away. “Stay still for a while,” he whispered, nuzzling his nose on his lover’s soft locks.  

 

Baekhyun patted Chanyeol’s butt, smiling cheekily. “You are going to our department’s party tonight?” he asked with his eyes closed, happily humming when Chanyeol kissed his head.

  


“Of course, it’s my welcome party. How can I miss it,” Chanyeol huffed. “I can’t really be with you tonight,” he sighed and pulled Baekhyun back into his embrace, lazily swaying their bodies together. “Don't drink too much,” he added.

  


Pursing his lips, Baekhyun sighed. “I can’t even drink. Even without alcohol in my system, I still can have fun with them tonight,” he said and burrowed his face on Chanyeol’s taut chest. He smiled when Chanyeol kissed his temple.

  


“Mochi, can we have our prince back?” Sarang smiled while tugging Baekhyun’s shirt. Sera and Seulgi came running out of the boy’s bedroom, giggling loudly before clinging themselves on Chanyeol.

  


“Prince is warm,” Sera smiled in content, pressing her face on Chanyeol’s bowed leg. Seulgi yawned, lifting her arms while staring up at Chanyeol, signaling for him to pick her up.

  


Chanyeol carried Seulgi and caressed her hair. “Want to take a nap?” he cooed, grinning when Seulgi mumbled a quiet ‘Yes’ and kissed his cheek.

  


Baekhyun took Sera’s and Sarang’s hands and walked after Chanyeol, following him to his bedroom. “They destroyed your room!” he yelped in horror as he stared at Chanyeol’s messy bedroom floor. The pillows were thrown all over the room and the small brick toys that were laying on the carpeted floor could poke their feet.

  


Chanyeol’s eyebrows rose as he leaned to whisper into Baekhyun’s ear. “Soon it’s going to be your room too, cheap peach,” he winked teasingly but yelped in pain when Baekhyun elbowed his stomach, glaring at him with a very red face.   

  


“Nanny Bee, look at us!” Jongin and Sehun jumped on their father’s bed to show the colorful tutu skirts that they were wearing around their waists.

  


“Oh wow, both of you look so pretty!” Baekhyun beamed. “They let you guys wear their precious tutu skirts? The triplets won't even let their friends touch those,” he added, amazed at the good relationship that Chanyeol’s sons and his little sisters had.

  


\---

 

Baekhyun’s head felt like it was going to explode. Whimpering in pain, he slowly opened his eyes. He recognized the furniture inside the room. _‘Chanyeol’s office?’_

  


Groggily trying to sit properly on the sofa, he tried to search for Chanyeol in the office dimmed light setting. He remembered laughing with his friends at the club’s exclusive room, courtesy of Chanyeol. The Head of Marketing Department was going to be late for the party so they started without him. Baekhyun was enjoying himself until one of his friends started gossiping about Chanyeol’s past history and flings. He snorted, the list kept on going and all of them had very successful jobs. Even though he didn't know whether the stories were true, he couldn't help but feel intimidated about it. He didn't realize what he chugged down his throat, all he remembered was that it tasted so bitter and surprisingly made him tipsy so quick. Baekhyun passed out after the second sip.

  


Massaging his temple, he tried to look for Chanyeol again. His breath hitched when he saw Chanyeol sitting on his chair, drinking a can of beer as he stared at the night sky through the big glass window before him. “Pretty,” he called.

  


“Just rest for a while,” Chanyeol smiled. “I’m sorry I can't take you straight home after the party, I have so many works at the office. You are now my hostage,”

  


“You are upset,” Baekhyun mumbled. With his wobbly legs, he tried to stand up and walked toward Chanyeol. “Look at me, Pretty,” he said, squeezing Chanyeol’s shoulders to get his attention. His heart throbbed in pain when Chanyeol ignored him. _‘What did he do at the party that made his lover angry like this?’_

  


Twirling Chanyeol’s chair to face him, Baekhyun’s breath hitched when their eyes met. His lover’s eyes were dark, staring right into his soul. “Are you...are you mad at me?” he asked cautiously.

  


“No, I’m mad at myself,” Chanyeol grumbled. “Sorry for worrying you,” he smiled and held Baekhyun’s hands, interlacing their fingers together.

  


Baekhyun pushed Chanyeol to lay further backward, grinning cheekily. He was glad that his lover owned a very big and comfortable chair, so climbing on him and sitting on his lap was an easy task to do. Chanyeol’s eyes were wide as saucers while looking at him made him chortle. However, he flushed when his lover’s large palms found their ways to grip on his waist, stroking him gently. Burying his hot face on Chanyeol’s chest, he sighed in content when his lover kissed his head.

  


“When I arrived at the club, do you know how shocked I was when I saw you? You passed out on the sofa, covered in chips. What happened to not drinking?” Chanyeol hissed scrutinizingly.

  


Baekhyun grimaced and planted a quick kiss on his lover’s chin. “I..I don't know what happened. I think I accidentally switched my drink with my friend’s. I remembered giggling happily about something,” He chuckled when Chanyeol pinched his waist.  

  


“I was talking with them but I keep glancing at you. I was so worried about you. Your drunk coworker accidentally sat on you so many times and you didn't move at all,” Chanyeol sighed. “I felt pathetic,”

  


Baekhyun hummed when Chanyeol cupped his face, staring at him fondly. “Why is that?” he whispered, eyeing his lover’s plump lips.

  


“I need to come up with one solid reason to get you out of there so that they won't be suspicious of me. I wish I could just scream at them, announcing that I’m your boyfriend and I want to take you home,” Chanyeol groaned. “At that time I felt so angry and frustrated at myself,”

  


“To get me out of there, did you...did you told them about us?” Baekhyun murmured. “Chanyeol?”

  


“No,” Chanyeol answered curtly, “I just kept my mouth shut and lifted you out of there, I don't care anymore of what they are going to say, I’m sorry,” he sighed, looking away from Baekhyun.

  


Baekhyun’s heart clenched painfully looking at Chanyeol’s sad face. Chanyeol really did try his best to comply with his request to keep them secret but it was certainly stressing him out. He pressed their lips together, hoping that the kisses would help to soothe Chanyeol’s gloomy mood. “Pretty,” he said breathily, fingers slipping inside Chanyeol’s locks. He hummed in bliss when Chanyeol started kissing him back. The sweet kisses turned into a wet lip-locking session when their tongues met. He moaned when Chanyeol’s large palms slipped into his pants, harshly squeezing his bare butt and he started grinding on him. He squeaked in pain when Chanyeol bit his bottom lip.

  


“Cheap peach, I’m so angry and not in a good mood now,” Chanyeol growled while nibbling on the soft skin of Baekhyun’s neck. “Let's stop before I hurt you,” he said, pulling away and kissed Baekhyun’s forehead. Wiping Baekhyun’s wet lips softly with his thumb, he mumbled. “Let's go home. Tomorrow is the big gala. I have so many things to do,”

  


\---

  


All of them were inside Chanyeol’s bedroom, busy getting ready to attend LOEY Mall Gala Dinner that night.

  


“Nanny Bee, why are you not going with us? Jongin asked as he let his father fixed his tuxedo.

  


Sehun pouted and squeezed his teddy tightly. “There are going to be so many people in the gala. I-I hate crowded places. Why can’t I stay with you? Nanny Bee?” he smiled when Baekhyun helped to comb his hair neatly.

  


Baekhyun’s eyes met with Chanyeol’s and both of them averted their gazes away. “I have something to do in my office. You guys will be fine with your grandparents and your father,” he said before smooching Sehun’s cheek.

  


“The three of you look so handsome,” he praised before wrapping his arms around Chanyeol’s waist and tiptoed to kiss his lover’s lips. A reply kiss on his temple from Chanyeol boosted up his mood.

  


\---

 

Baekhyun kept on glancing at the main VVIP table, searching for Jongin’s and Sehun’s whereabouts. He was sitting rather too far away from them so his view was limited. He knew that the kids would be alright with their father yet he still couldn't help but feel worried for them. Sehun had been cranky since they left the house that evening.

 

 _‘They are going to be fine,’_ he thought to himself, coaxing his uneasy heart.

  


He smiled when he spotted Chanyeol and his parents busily mingling with the crowd. Mr. Park looked terribly happy, the CEO had been smiling nonstop throughout the night. Chanyeol was a social butterfly and extremely sweet too, so of course everyone would unsurprisingly fall heads over heels for him quickly. Mr. Park had been constantly introducing Chanyeol to his friends and acquaintances. And almost all of them were introducing Chanyeol back to their beautiful, elegantly dressed daughters. He remembered Mr. Park telling him about it beforehand.

  


Baekhyun sat with his friends at the Marketing Department’s designated table, chatting merrily with them until he heard someone calling for him.

  


“Nanny Bee!” Sehun screamed as he ran toward Baekhyun, pulling him in for a tight hug.

  


“Gosh, Sehun! What happened, Little Star?” Baekhyun gasped while caressing Sehun’s head. A pouting Jongin soon came trailing after Sehun, instantly wrapping his arms around Baekhyun’s neck when he reached them. The kids were clinging onto his body relentlessly, they didn't show any signs of wanting to let him go and the nanny was currently having trouble breathing.

  


“Aren’t that the CEO‘s grandsons?”

  


Baekhyun ignored all the questions thrown his way and carried both of the children away from his table to search for their father. “What are you two doing here? Did your father realized that you guys were missing? He must be scared to death finding you right now,” Baekhyun blabbered as he rushed toward the main table using the hallway outside the ballroom. He surely was not going to walk through the crowded spaces between the tables inside.

  


“It’s so stuffy in there, I don't like it,” Sehun whined. “Big Star said that he saw you with your friends at your table so both of us decided to find you,” he sniffled and burrowed his face on the crook of his nanny’s neck.

  


“I’m sleepy,” Jongin yawned.

  


“Let's get you guys to your father first. He must be so worried about you two, please don't do things like this ever again,” Baekhyun reprimanded them sternly, eyes actively wandering to search for Chanyeol. The battery of his phone died thus he couldn't contact the kids’ father. He didn't want to interrupt Chanyeol and his parents by showing up out of the blue like this, but nevertheless, he had to bring the kids to them.

  


“Chanyeol,” he said the moment he noticed Chanyeol standing at the ballroom’s grand entrance holding onto his phone. Sheer panic was written all over his lover's handsome face as his eyes scanned all across the entire venue. Baekhyun put the kids down on the floor and let them run toward their father.

  


“Appa!” the kids shouted simultaneously.

  


“Jongin? Sehun?” Chanyeol rushed to pull them into his embrace. “Don't ever do this to me again! My poor heart can't take it,” he grumbled and kissed Jongin and Sehun on their heads. He smiled and picked both of them up from the floor.

  


“I tried to call you,” he sighed, looking at Baekhyun.

  


Baekhyun caressed Sehun’s and Jongin’s hair before his face broke into a tiny smile. “Sorry, my phone died. Mr. Park looks really happy showing you off to his friends by the way,”

 

“That old man surely seems happy,” Chanyeol laughed and leaned closer toward Baekhyun’s face.

  


“Chanyeol?”

  


“Jiyoung,” Chanyeol flashed his signature smile.

  


Jiyoung smiled back and placed her arm on Chanyeol waist, pulling him closer. Inspecting Baekhyun from his head to his toe with a scrutinizing stare, she frowned. “Who is he, Chanyeol?”

  


Alright, Baekhyun was definitely not a jealous person, to begin with. He knew he could handle his emotions perfectly fine. He was the one who wanted his relationship with Chanyeol to be a secret anyway. Yet right now, he could have sworn there’s nothing in the world that he really despised more than the way that woman’s hands being draped all over his lover's arm. She was beautiful, like a movie star and he realized that it was actually the smell of her perfume that lingered on Chanyeol when they met earlier.

  


Truthfully speaking, all of them looked good together, a perfect match indeed. Baekhyun could sense that his possessive side was beginning to kick in. All he ever wanted to do right now was to pull Chanyeol and the kids away from all of this, but he couldn't. In the public’s eyes, he was a mere nobody to Chanyeol.

  


“ Nanny Bee, let's go home. I’m so tired,” Sehun whined, cowering away from Jiyoung’s perfectly manicured hand.

  


“Oh, so he is your kids’ nanny?” Jiyoung smiled. “Aren’t you doing your job properly, boy? Where did you find such a lousy babysitter, Chanyeol?”

 

Clutching his shaking hands at his sides, Baekhyun’s jaw clenched as he shifted his gaze from continuing to stare at the woman’s face.  He didn't want to be seen or labeled as rude. His heart was about to explode when he locked gaze with Chanyeol, now he knew what exactly Chanyeol had felt when he saw him helplessly inebriated at the club. He felt like he was going insane. He really wanted to do something to end it but he couldn't.

  


“Be quiet,” Chanyeol said, glaring menacingly at Jiyoung.

  


Baekhyun wanted to yell in frustration but he failed to say anything when Jiyoung abruptly grabbed Chanyeol’s arm, pulling him away.

  


“Let’s go to your parents, they want to see us together,” she chirped happily.

  


Chanyeol let Jiyoung lead the way while he was still carrying his two sons in his arms. His sad eyes were glancing at Baekhyun, begging for him to understand his situation. “I’m going to pick you up after the event,” he mouthed at Baekhyun when Jiyoung dragged him into the ballroom again.

  


Baekhyun felt so heartbroken and useless. He was Chanyeol’s lover yet he didn't do anything to claim him. He just let the woman took him away. Not being able to claim what’s his, he hated it so much. However, he knew that it’s nobody’s fault but his.

  


\---

  


It was 10 PM, the gala would end at midnight and Chanyeol was nervously searching for Baekhyun, like a maniac. He tried to contact him but then recalled Baekhyun telling him about his dying phone. The kids had already been sent back to their grandparents’ house and Chanyeol was finally free from his father. He got frustrated when he couldn't locate Baekhyun at the Marketing Department’s designated table and then they told him that intern Baekhyun was not feeling well so he wanted to rest at their office for a while. Chanyeol was internally glad that the gala was held in the same building as their office.

  


He started to panic when he couldn't find Baekhyun anywhere on their office floor, he even went to check for him inside the restroom. He paused his steps in front of the janitor’s closet. A soft sneeze that was heard coming from the small room made him smile. Gently opening the closet door, he sighed in relief when he saw Baekhyun. “Cheap peach,” he grumbled.

  


“Is the party over?” Baekhyun yawned, rubbing his watery eyes with his fingers.

  


“What are you doing in here? Wait...you are upset,” Chanyeol stated a matter-of-factly. Baekhyun was quieter than his usual self. “You are hiding from me,” he uttered with knitted eyebrows. “But why?”

  


“Nothing,” Baekhyun shrugged and stepped out from the suffocating room.

  


Chanyeol flinched when he heard the sound of the elevator dinging, maybe someone from the Marketing Department wanted to go to their own department’s restroom. The restroom at the gala’s floor was crowded anyway. _‘Things would be hard to explain if anyone happened to see both of them together here,’_ He gasped and hurriedly pushed Baekhyun back into the janitor’s closet again.

  


“W-what?” Baekhyun groaned when Chanyeol wrapped his body in his arms, preventing his body from any injuries for being shoved into the small space with force.

  


“I think KiBum and his friend are going to use the restroom,” Chanyeol whispered, nonchalantly pressing his lips on Baekhyun’s temple. He noticed that Baekhyun couldn't stop staring at him. “What is it, cheap peach?” he asked.

  


“I’m sorry,” Baekhyun mumbled, burrowing his face on Chanyeol chest.

  


Chanyeol’s eyebrows turned into a quizzical frown. “You haven’t done anything wrong toward me though, cheap peach,” he smiled, nuzzling their noses together.

  


"I have had enough of hiding," Baekhyun huffed.

  


"Just wait for a little bit more, until I'm sure that all of them are no longer here. Okay, cheap peach?" Chanyeol whispered, coaxing Baekhyun to stay patient by palming his back gently. He groaned when Baekhyun wrapped his arms around his body, squeezing him hard. "What's wrong? You can't breath?" he panicked.

  


"I don’t want to keep our relationship as a secret any longer. I want to tell the world that you are exclusively mine, only mine," Baekhyun hissed while grabbing the front of Chanyeol's expensive suit. "Let’s go and tell them about us. No more hiding, I’ve had enough of playing pretend," He cringed, intensely staring right into Chanyeol's eyes.

  


"Really?" Chanyeol laughed, cupping Baekhyun's face in his palms. He was honestly beyond happy.

  


Baekhyun chuckled when Chanyeol lifted him up from the floor. "Yes," he said, pressing their lips together.

  


"I truly want to keep on kissing you, but we have a ball to attend, cheap peach," Chanyeol said breathily between their mingled breaths. He put Baekhyun down and extended his arm for Baekhyun to take.

 

Baekhyun beamed and linked their hands together. "Let’s go, Pretty. I’m going to show them who owns Park Chanyeol," he huffed determinedly and dragged his chuckling lover toward the elevator.

  


\---

  


_Epilogue_

  
  


"Let me guess, you guys are fighting again," Jongdae snorted, twirling the toothpick inside his mouth. “Why am I not surprised at all,”

  


Chanyeol pouted and grumpily pushed the shopping cart toward the chips’ aisles. “I just advised him to stop being so sweet to everyone around him. Some people will misunderstand his good intentions. Now he said that I’m being childish, getting jealous over something trivial like that,” He rolled his eyes and threw Baekhyun’s favorite chips inside the empty trolley.

  


Jongdae shrugged and patted Chanyeol’s back. “You guys were just basically angry at each other in the morning. When evening comes, both of you can't stop smiling giddily as if nothing happened that morning,”  

  


“Appa?” Sehun tugged Chanyeol’s sleeves and pointed at his big brother that was coming their way, holding onto a bag of flour.

  


“Yes, Little Star,” Chanyeol caressed his son’s head. He stared at the cookies ingredients inside their now loaded shopping trolley that Jongin and Sehun helped pick up from the baking section.

  


“Daddy loves your chocolate cookies. I think you should make more, to make him happy,” Jongin suggested sincerely.

  


Sehun nodded, agreeing with his big brother's words. “You only have to make it bigger than the previous one you made though. I’m sure daddy will forgive you,”

 

“You guys always pick your daddy’s side. You are going to spoil him at this rate,” Chanyeol huffed, rolling his eyes for the umpteen times at his kids. “Your Uncle Dae is doing a great job in spoiling him too,” he chided, side-eyeing Jongdae that was eating free food sample in front of them, obviously paying no heed to Chanyeol.

  


“It is you who spoiled him the most, Appa,” Sehun snorted.  

  


\---

  


Chanyeol always waited for Baekhyun to come back home every day. Baekhyun’s job as a paramedic put him under a lot of pressures and Chanyeol wanted to be the pillar for him to rely on. He knew that Baekhyun loves his job so much. He didn't even complain when he had to work double shifts these past weeks to cover for his sick friend. He was about to change the TV channel when he heard the sound of their door code being punched in by Baekhyun.

  


“I’m home,” Baekhyun mumbled tiredly. “Pretty?” he called, searching for Chanyeol’s whereabouts in the dim lighting of the apartment.

  


“Searching for me, cheap peach?” Chanyeol smirked as he strolled toward Baekhyun and pulled him into his embrace. The strong antiseptic smell that lingered on Baekhyun’s body always made his nose scrunch in distaste.  

  
  


“I miss you,” Baekhyun murmured, burrowing his face into the taller’s built chest.

  


Chanyeol frowned, Baekhyun always kissed him first when he got back home unless he was hiding something from him. Not going to prod his exhausted lover any further, he kissed Baekhyun’s forehead and tugged his hand gently toward their bedroom. “I already prepared a hot bath to you, come and enjoy it,”

  
  


Baekhyun was too tired to even keep his eyes open. He let Chanyeol undressed him and ushered him to enter the warm bathtub carefully.  After making sure that Baekhyun was comfortable in the water, he sat on the floor and caressed his bare legs.

  


“I-I am glad that the baby was alive, thankfully we arrived on time,” Baekhyun sniffled as he wiped his watery eyes with the back of his palms.

  


Gently stroking Baekhyun’s red cheeks, Chanyeol sighed. “Who did this to you?” He asked, knowing too well that getting injuries was one of Baekhyun’s occupational hazards.  

  


“The baby’s mom refused to let us near her sick baby, so she slapped me,” Baekhyun mumbled, patting his own cheek, smiling weakly at Chanyeol.  

  


Chanyeol leaned closer to kiss the mole on Baekhyun’s right temple. “You want some cookies, cheap peach?” he smiled when he got a slight nod from Baekhyun.

  


“Your triple sized chocolate cookies are always the best to lift up my mood,” Baekhyun sighed.

  


When Chanyeol came back into the bathroom, holding a tray of his homemade cookies, he found Baekhyun already dozing off in the warm bathtub. Sitting back on the tiled floor, he stroked Baekhyun's cheek with his fingers slowly to wake him up.

  


"Cheap peach, here are your cookies," he beamed and handed one large sized chocolate cookie to Baekhyun. He chuckled at the way Baekhyun's eyes were still closed as he ate it all up. Chanyeol grabbed the shower loofah on the countertop and started rubbing it all over Baekhyun's body, especially his sore legs.

  
  


Baekhyun hummed and submerged his entire body, leaving only his head out of the water as he watched Chanyeol massage his hands and thighs. He smiled as he searched for Chanyeol's hand under the water, chuckling when he found his long fingers. Pulling his hand out from the water, Baekhyun glided his thumb over their wedding band that fits snugly on Chanyeol's finger. Their wedding rings were glimmering so beautifully under the bathroom suite’s light.

  


"It’s been two years,” Baekhyun lifted his head to stare deep into Chanyeol’s eyes. “ I love you so much, Pretty," he murmured.

  


Chanyeol’s heart bloomed when he looked at the smile gracing Baekhyun’s face. Placing his palm on his husband’s nape, he pulled him closer until their lips were pressed together. Both couldn't stop humming in pure delight when their lips started moving passionately. In no time, they began to get so eager to please each other.

  


“I love you too, cheap peach,” Chanyeol panted in between their breath-stealing kisses.

  



End file.
